Human fetal lung fibroblasts: in vitro study of repetitive magnetic field exposure at 0.2, 1.0, and 1.5 T.

Purpose: To evaluate whether repetitive exposure to magnetic fields of 0.2, 1.0, and 1.5 T affect the growth of human fetal lung fibroblasts (HFLFs).

Materials And Methods: Cultured HFLFs were exposed to static magnetic fields of 0.2, 1.0, and 1.5 T for 1 h/d for 5 consecutive days. Control groups were kept under identical environmental conditions, apart from the magnetic field, during the experiments. Cell cycle analysis for synchronously and nonsynchronously growing cells was performed. Population doublings (PDs) were calculated. To rule out midterm effects, proliferation kinetics of the cells were analyzed for 21 days.

Results: Cell cycle analysis of synchronized and nonsynchronized cells did not reveal statistically significant differences between the exposed and control cells. The PDs did not indicate any growth modulation during exposure. Proliferation kinetics did not provide any hint of midterm growth modulation effects of repetitive magnetic field exposure.

Conclusion: Repetitive magnetic field exposure does not exert any growth-modulating effect on overall cell growth and cell cycle distribution of cultured HFLFs. Midterm effects due to magnetic field exposure were not found.