The aim of the study was to investigate oxidative and ultrastructural changes of substantia nigra cells and nerve fibers following exposure to a magnetic field and the impacts of vitamin E on preventing and decline the ultrastructural damages induced by the magnetic field.
30 male rats were assigned into three groups of 1) control, 2) magnetic field exposure, and 3) magnetic field exposure + Vitamin E administration (200 mg/kg per day for two months).
| Exposure | Parameters |
|---|---|
|
Exposure 1:
50 Hz
Exposure duration:
4 h/day for 60 days
|
|
| Frequency | 50 Hz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | 4 h/day for 60 days |
| Exposure source | |
|---|---|
| Setup | a pair of Helmholtz copper coils located one above the other and separated by a distance of 50 cm; the magnetic fields generated by the coils were in opposite directions, so a homogenous field was created in the center of the generator; a cylindrical wooden vessel was positioned between the coils, the interior of which contained a chamber for housing the animal cages; four cages at a time were placed within the chamber |
| Additional info | to prevent the interference of metals with magnetic field exposure, all metal objects, such as cage roofs and metal water containers, were substituted by plastic ones |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| magnetic flux density | 3 mT | - | - | - | - |
In the magnetic field exposed group, malondialdehyde level was enhanced and superoxide dismutase enzyme activity decreased significantly compared to the control group, but vitamin E could restore these changes. In magnetic field exposed rats, heterochromatic nucleus and destruction in some portions of the nuclear membrane were detected. The segmental separation or destruction of myelin sheath lamellae was observed in nerve fibers. In animals co-exposed to magnetic field and treated with vitamin E, the nucleus was round, less heterochromatic, with a regular membrane. Separation of myelin sheath lamellae in some nerve fibers was slighter than the magnetic field exposure-alone group.
Magnetic field exposure induced lipid peroxidation and triggered ultrastructural changes in the cell membranes, nucleus, and myelin sheath of substantia nigra cells, but vitamin E administration weakened these neuropathological alterations. The authors conclude that vitamin E administration may be a powerful antioxidant to prevent the harmful effects of magnetic fields on the neural cells.
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