STUDY OF EFFECTS OF 50-HZ MAGNETIC-FIELDS ON CHROMOSOME-ABERRATIONS AND THE GROWTH-RELATED ENZYME ODC IN HUMAN AMNIOTIC CELLS

The clastogenic effect of a 3 day exposure of human amniotic cells to a 50 Hz 30 mu T-rms sinusoidal magnetic field was tested. The experime nt was designed to replicate that by Nordenson and coworkers in which chromosome gap and break frequencies were found to be relatively high after exposure. No increase in chromosome defects in the exposed cells was measured in our data; rather, an opposite tendency was observed. The concentration of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) was also measured a fter exposure. Elevated levels of ODC would be expected if the exposur e had produced a growth-stimulating effect. No significant difference was seen in the ODC concentrations in exposed cells compared with a sh am-exposed sample.