DEVELOPMENT OF CHICKEN EMBRYOS EXPOSED TO AN INTERMITTENT HORIZONTAL SINUSOIDAL 50 HZ MAGNETIC-FIELD

The effects of intermittent exposure (2 h on/22 h off) to a 200 mu T h orizontal, sinusoidally oscillating (50 Hz) magnetic field were studie d in 210 fertilized chicken eggs. Two hundred ten control eggs (sham-e xposed) were incubated in the same chamber as the experimental eggs. C hick embryos were examined for developmental anomalies and maturity st age after 48 h of incubation. Immunohistochemical analysis of extracel lular membrane components (laminin, fibronectin, and type IV collagen) were conducted on day 7 and histological examinations for malformatio ns of brain, liver, and heart, on days 7, 12, and 18 of incubation. Fu rthermore, egg fertility and egg weights were evaluated on days 2, 7, 12, and 18. The investigation also measured the body weight of chicken s for 90 days from hatching and included histological analysis of body organs. Each variable was investigated blind. Statistical comparison between exposed and sham-exposed values did not show significant diffe rences in any of the variables investigated. Thus, it appears that the exposure of embryos to an intermittent 200 mu T magnetic field at 50 Hz does not cause developmental anomalies, changes in maturity stage, alterations in distribution of extracellular membrane components, or m alformations in the brain, liver, or heart. Moreover, there were no di fferences in body weight, morphology, or histology of central nervous system, liver, heart, or testis in 90-day-old chickens hatched from ex posed in comparison to sham-exposed eggs. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.