Subchronic in vivo effects of a high static magnetic field (9.4 T) in rats

The potential adverse biologic effects of sub chronic (cumulatively 10 week s) exposure to a high magnetic field (9.4 T) were evaluated in young adult male and female Fischer rats as well as in their progeny. Biologic end poin ts in adult rats included changes In daily clinical observations; spatial m emory tests; weekly heart rates, body weights, food and water consumption, and the feed efficiency ratio; terminal hematologic, blood biochemical and urinary parameter changes; gross pathologic findings; and major organ weigh ts. In offspring, biologic end points included the gestation period, number of live births, number of pups, ratio of male to female pups/litter; postn atal time period of eye opening; birth and weekly body weights, behavorial changes, central nervous system responses, as well as hematologic, blood bi ochemistry, and urinary parameter changes; and gross pathologic findings. F indings from this study showed that there were no adverse biologic effects in male and female adult rats or their progeny that could be attributed to 10-week exposure to a 9.4-T static magnetic field. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc .