The effects of exposure of rat mesenchymal stem cells to a 50 Hz magnetic field on cell differentiation and behavioral and histological changes in Parkinson's disease model rats after implantation of these stem cells into the brain.
Parkinson's disease was experimentally induced in rats via injections of 6-hydroxy-dopamine into left substantia nigra of the brain, which caused the loss of dopaminergic neurons.
Rats were divided into the following groups (n=8, respectively): 1) injections of saline solution into the brain (control group), 2) injection of saline solution with ascorbic acid (vehicle of 6-hydroxy-dopamine), 3) injection of 4 µg 6-hydroxy-dopamine, 4) injection of 6-hydroxy-dopamine and stem cells that were exposed to a 40 µT magnetic field for a week, 5) injection of 6-hydroxy-dopamine and stem cells that were exposed to a 400 µT magnetic field for a week, 6) injection of 6-hydroxy-dopamine and sham exposed stem cells.
(remark EMF-Portal: Though stated differently in the abstract, rats were probably killed 4 weeks after injections.)
| Exposure | Parameters |
|---|---|
|
Exposure 1:
50 Hz
Exposure duration:
continuous for 1 hour/day for 1 week
|
|
|
Exposure 2:
50 Hz
Exposure duration:
continuous for 1 hour/day for 1 week
|
|
| Frequency | 50 Hz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | continuous for 1 hour/day for 1 week |
| Exposure source | |
|---|---|
| Chamber | culture flasks |
| Setup | horizontal Helmholtz coil (300 turns, distance of 6 cm and internal diameter of 16 cm) embedded in an open plexiglass rectangular frame and placed in an incubator (5% CO2, 37 °C) |
| Sham exposure | A sham exposure was conducted. |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| magnetic flux density | 40 µT | - | measured | - | - |
| Frequency | 50 Hz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | continuous for 1 hour/day for 1 week |
| Exposure source |
|
|---|
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| magnetic flux density | 400 µT | - | measured | - | - |
The implanted cells differentiated into dopaminergic neurons and sporadically settled in the substantia nigra pars compacta.
Motor asymmetry was significantly increased in Parkinson's disease model rats (group 3) compared to the control group (group 1). However, Parkinson's disease model rats with implantation of stem cells that were exposed to a 40 µT magnetic field for a week (group 4) showed a significantly reduced motor asymmetry after 4 weeks and Parkinson's disease model rats with implantation stem cells that were exposed to a 400 µT magnetic field (group 5) showed significantly reduced motor asymmetry after 2 and 4 weeks compared to group 3.
The BDNF concentration in the brain was significantly increased in group 5 compared to group 3, which in turn showed a lower value than the control group. In the serum, groups 3-6 showed increased BDNF values compared to the control group and no effect of the magnetic field was found.
The number of dopaminergic neurons was significantly decreased in groups 3 compared to the control group (group 2 showed no difference to control). However, group 5 showed a significantly increased number of dopaminergic neurons compared to group 3.
The authors conclude that exposure of rat mesenchymal stem cells to a 50 Hz magnetic field and a subsequent implantation into brains of Parkinson's disease model rats might be beneficial in Parkinson's disease.
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