Immunomodulating effect of weak magnetic fields on antibody production in mice

Abstract

The possibility of a resonance mechanism of immunomodulation of antibody secretion by immune antibody-producing splenocytes in mice is demonstrated. Parameters of the effects of weak magnetic fields on the process of immune antibody production in mice are defined.Key Words: weak magnetic fields; antibody secretion; mice Many facts are now available indicating marked sensitivity of the body and of individual cells, cell organelles, and protein enzymes to magnetic fields lower than the earth's level, to weak electromagnetic radiation, light exposure, weak direct and alternating currents, and to low homeopathic doses of chemical compounds [2,3,6,7]. Besides being interesting from a theoretical viewpoint, these data open up new vistas for therapeutic exposures to various fields and currents of low, in principle safe, intensities. The mechanisms of such processes are still unclear. We proposed that low-intensity exposures acquire the pattern of a signal, so that there is an information type effect on the organism. The mechanism of resonance -enhancement of certain parameters of a system during exposure to strictly defined signals -is one of the best known and best studied mechanisms of such exposures.The purpose of our study was to elucidate the possibility of a narrow-resonance exposure of a biological object to low-intensity factors as exemplified by the process of antibody secretion by immune antibody-producing ceUs (APC) in mice. Medical Sciences were used. For immunization red cells from 2-3 outbred rats were taken; the cells were washed in Hanks solution three times, and 0.5 ml of the suspension was injected intraperitoneally in a dose of 5 mln cells per mouse. Exposure to magnetic fields (MF) was carried out with a specially designed device permitting the creation within a 5-7 cm radius of a strictly dosed (accuracy 2%) permanent MF of 0-2 Gs strength and an alternating MF of 1-100 Hz frequency and 0-2 Gs strength in the vertical direction. The MF horizontal constituent was compensated for with an accuracy of up to 5% by permanent magnets. Splenocytes from 3-5 mice on sensitization days 3, 4, and 5 suspended in Hanks solution with glucose were mixed in the same tube and poured into several tubes, 0.5 m_l containing 5 mln cells into each tube, and then exposed for various periods to a permanent or alternating MF. Then samples from each tube were tested in three variants for intensity of secretion of antibodies to specific antigens by the plaque method in a monolayer in glass chambers [5]. For this purpose washed splenocytes of immunized mice (0.5 to 1 mln ceils in 0.05 m_l Hanks solution) were mixed with a similar volume of 1% red cells with which the animals were immunized and with 0.05 ml of 1:6 diluted rabbit complement adsorbed with rat red cells. The chambers were covered with cover slips and put into an incubator at 37~ in an exsiccator where 100% humidity was created. After 24 h 0007-4888/94/0005-0478512.50 9 MATERIALS AND METHODS BALBPlenum Publishing Corporation

Review of Russian literature on biological action of DC and low-frequency AC magnetic fields

“…Podkolzin and Dontsov [1994], for example, studied the immunomodulating action of the weak DC MF. Previous immunization of mice was performed by a intraperitoneal injection of rat's erythrocytes.…”

“…Apart from the works devoted to investigation of the MF in¯uence on the nervous system, which made up the great bulk of investigations, a set of interesting works investigated other aspects. Podkolzin and Dontsov [1994], for example, studied the immunomodulating action of the weak DC MF. Previous immunization of mice was performed by a intraperitoneal injection of rat's erythrocytes.…”

Effect of hypogeomagnetic field on tissue and intracellular reorganization of mouse myocardium

“…Numerous studies of the effect of magnetic fields on anilnals and men show that hypogeomagnetic medium is a biologically active factor [3,4,[10][11][12]14]. Biological effect of hypogeomagnetic fields (HGMF) becomes now a more and more important problem in view of the modem tendency to isolate man from the geomagnetic field (space flights, concrete constructions, etc.)…”