Quantification of adherent cell orientation and morphology under strong magnetic fields

In the present study, the effect of magnetic fields on the orientation of a dherent cells was investigated quantitatively using a long-term magnetic fi eld exposure system at 8 T. Smooth muscle cells, which are classified as ad herent cells, were passaged and dispersed in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Me dium (DMEM). A cell culture flask was filled to capacity with the smooth mu scle cell suspension, and placed in the center of a superconducting magnet' s bore. The smooth muscle cell culture was incubated for 3 days, and exhibi ted randomly oriented patterns of rod-like shaped cells without magnetic fi eld exposure. In contrast, the smooth muscle cell culture exposed to 8 Tesl a (T) magnetic fields for 70 hours changed into a one-directionally oriente d cell culture. To quantify the orientational order, an orientational order parameter for a 2-dimensional system was introduced by adapting the 3-dime nsional order parameter. The degree of orientation of the culture with 8 T magnetic field exposure for 70 hours was 0.72, while the degree of orientat ion without exposure was 0.21. The results indicated that the magnetic orie ntational order of smooth muscle cells was lower than that of floating cell s.