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Safety of exposure to high static magnetic fields (2 T–12 T): a study on mice

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Abstract

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the biological effects of high static magnetic field (HiSMF, 2–12 Tesla [T]) exposure on mice in a stable and effective breeding environment in the chamber of a superconducting magnet.

Methods

C57BL/6 mice were bred in the geomagnetic field and HiSMF with different magnetic field strengths (2–4 T, 6–8 T, and 10–12 T) for 28 days. The body weight, blood indices, organ coefficients, and histomorphology of major organs were analyzed.

Results

The results showed that the HiSMF had no significant effect on the body weight, organ coefficients, or histomorphology of major organs in mice. The HiSMF had no effect on most routine blood and biochemical indices, but the value of the mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) was increased in the 2–4 T group compared with that of the other groups, and the uric acid level (UA) was decreased in the three HiSMF groups compared with that of the control group.

Conclusion

The C57BL/6 mice were not affected when they were exposed to different HiSMF environments for 28 days.

Key Points

No physiological problems were observed in mice with long-term whole-body exposure to HiSMF.

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Abbreviations

ALB:

Albumin

ALT:

Alanine aminotransferase

BUN:

Blood urea nitrogen

CHOL:

Total serum cholesterol

CREA:

Creatinine

CT:

Computed tomography

GMF:

Geomagnetic field

HGB:

Hemoglobin

HiSMF:

High static magnetic field

MCH:

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin

MCV:

Mean corpuscular volume

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

PDW:

Platelet distribution width

PLT:

Platelet count

RBC:

Red blood cell count

RDW-CV:

Coefficient variation of red blood cell volume distribution width

SMF:

Static magnetic field

TBIL:

Total bilirubin

TG:

Triglyceride

UA:

Uric acid

WBC:

White blood cell count

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Funding

This study has received funding by the Science and Technology Planning Project of Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality of China (JCYJ20170412140904406), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (51777171).

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Correspondence to Peng Shang.

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The scientific guarantor of this publication is Peng Shang, PhD.

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The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article.

Statistics and biometry

One of the authors has significant statistical expertise.

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Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.

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Wang, S., Luo, J., Lv, H. et al. Safety of exposure to high static magnetic fields (2 T–12 T): a study on mice. Eur Radiol 29, 6029–6037 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-019-06256-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-019-06256-y

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