A STUDY OF MAGNETIC-FIELD EFFECTS ON FIBROBLAST-CULTURES .3. THE EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF STATIC AND EXTREMELY-LOW-FREQUENCY (ELF) MAGNETIC-FIELDS ON GLYCOSAMINOGLYCAN METABOLISM IN FIBROBLASTS, CELL COATSAND CULTURE-MEDIUM

Cultures of fibroblasts isolated from murine liver by the method of ti ssue trypsinization were exposed to a static magnetic field (0.49 T) a nd an extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic field (50 Hz, 0.020 T). T he cultures were exposed to magnetic fields for exposure periods of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 min on four consecutive days. During the experime nt we investigated the glycosaminoglycans isolated from the fibroblast s, their coats and the culture medium. The investigations concerned he paran sulphate (HS), dermatan sulphate (DS) and chondroitin sulphates (CS). The changes observed in the fibroblast cultures exposed to ELF m agnetic field suggest an increase in sulphate ion content in the glyco saminoglycans investigated, i.e. increased synthesis of the compounds. The ELF magnetic field also affects the degree of glycosaminoglycan s ulphatization. Some changes in the quantitative relations between HS, DS and CS were also noted. The static magnetic field had no effect on glycosaminoglycan metabolism, i.e. there were no alterations in incorp oration of labeled sulphur into sulphate glycosaminoglycans.