Intermediate frequency magnetic field at 250.8 kHz does not induce DNA damage or “Adaptive Response” in vitro

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine whether intermediate frequency (IF) magnetic field (MF) induces genotoxic effects or play a role in the induction of adaptive response after combined exposure to IF MF and ionizing radiation in leukocytes and in adrenocortical carcinoma cell line H295R. Cells were exposed to 250.8 kHz at the magnetic field strength of 80 A/m (equivalent to 100 µT magnetic flux density) for 20 hours, or exposed to IF MF for 20 hours and 24 hours later challenged with ionizing radiation (1.5 Gy X-ray). Evaluation of the DNA damage was performed with alkaline comet assay. Our results showed that there was no significant genotoxic effect of IF MF exposure compared to the controls in both cell types. Furthermore, results did not indicate a statistically significant change in DNA strand breaks in IF MF pre-exposed cells when they were subsequently exposed to 1.5 Gy. Consequently no adaptive response was detected.

Keywords

• genotoxicity
• alkaline comet assay
• intermediate frequency
• magnetic field
• adaptive response