ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: As the end product of lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde (MDA) content can be used for assessment lipid peroxidation injury.Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) acts as a free radical scavenger. Currently the effect of static magnetic field on the organism, whether positive or negative, has not been elucidated.OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of static magnetic field on anti-oxidation capacity of mouse hepatic tissues and its intensity dependence for producing such effects.DESIGN: A controlled comparative experiment.SETTING: Laboratories of Medical Physics and Biochemistry of Jiangsu University.MATERIALS: The experiment was conducted in the Laboratories of Medical Physics and Biochemistry of Jiangsu University from January to December 2003. Totally 30 mice of either sex weighing 18-20 g were selected and subjected to magnetic filed exposure using a self-designed ferrite magnet apparatus.METHODS: The mice were equally randomized into normal control group and 4 exposure groups exposed to magnetic field of (24.6±4.2) mT,(42.0±2.1) mT, (63.5±3.0) mT, and (85.1±2.9) mT, respectively. The mice in the 4 exposure groups were exposed to static magnetic field of the specified intensity for 2 hours twice a day, while those in the normal control group were subjected to the sham exposure apparatus without magnetic field at scheduled time points every day. After 15 days of exposure, the mice were sacrificed and the GSH-Px activity and the MDA content in the hepatic tissue were assayed.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: GSH-Px activity and MDA content in hepatic tissue of the mice.RESULTS: Thirty mice entered the final analysis without losses. MDA content in (24.6±4.2) mT and (42.0±2.1) mT groups were obviously lower than that in the normal control group [(12.70±0.53), (12.96±0.72), and (17.62±0.91) μmol/g, respectively, F=10.4, 9.89, P ＜ 0.01]. The GSH-Px activity in the hepatic tissue in (24.6±4.2) mT and (42.0±2.1) mT groups were obviously higher than that in the normal control group [(143.36±8.34),(150.69±12.00), (87.51±11.34) μkat/g, respectively, F=10.0, 11.3, P ＜ 0.01].CONCLUSION: Static magnetic field of appropriate intensity can lower MDA content and enhance the GSH-Px activity in the hepatic tissue of mice, and may also improve the activity of antioxidase and reduce the production of lipid peroxidation to diminish the consequent injuries and delay the aging process.