MOLECULAR-CHANGE DUE TO BIOMAGNETIC STIMULATION AND TRANSIENT MAGNETIC-FIELDS - MECHANICAL INTERFERENCE CONSTRAINTS ON POSSIBLE EFFECTS BY CELL-MEMBRANE PORE CREATION VIA MAGNETIC PARTICLES

Possible human health hazards due to biomagnetic stimulation and other transient magnetic fields are assessed theoretically by considering m agnetic field pulses that might create metastable cell membrane pores via interaction with membrane-attached magnetic particles. Such pores could lead to molecular changes sufficient to alter biochemical proces ses by admitting extracellular molecules that ordinarily cannot enter the cytosol, and can generate a molecular influx burst which satisfies a molecular shot noise constraint. Sources of competing molecular cha nges are considered. Possible pore creation due to normally encountere d accelerations is usually insignificant. However, mechanical interfer ence arising from membrane openings by tissue strain in naturally movi ng tissues is expected to lead to more severe competing molecular chan ges for most cells; only cells of bone-encased tissues (marrow and bra in) remain as candidates. Such mechanical interference is also relevan t to any other biophysical mechanism that couples molecular change to electric or magnetic fields by cellular deformation. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.