A STUDY ON MAGNETIC-FIELD EFFECTS ON FIBROBLAST-CULTURES .2. THE EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF STATIC AND EXTREMELY-LOW-FREQUENCY (ELF) MAGNETIC-FIELDS ON FREE-RADICAL PROCESSES IN FIBROBLAST-CULTURES

Cultures of fibroblasts isolated from murine liver by the method of ti ssue trypsinization were exposed to static magnetic field (0.49 T) and extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic field 50 Hz (0.020 T). The cul tures were exposed to magnetic fields for exposure periods of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 min on four consecutive days. After exposure, the Zn, F e and Cu ion contents in the fibroblasts and culture medium were deter mined together with the activity of two enzymes involved in the metabo lism of free radicals in fibroblasts, i.e. superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CT). The ELF magnetic field produced a decrease in the Z n, Fe and Cu ion contents in the fibroblasts and an increase in the io n content in the culture medium. The activity of the anti-oxidant enzy mes SOD and CT was reduced in fibroblasts exposed to the ELF magnetic field. The static magnetic field did not produce any changes in the fr ee-radical processes in fibroblast cultures.