[Effects of extremely low frequency weak magnetic fields on the intracellular free calcium concentration in PC-12 tumor cells].

In this study the effects of the extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields on intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) of rat chromaffinoma PC-12 cells were examined by using a digital fluorescence image microscopy system. A 50 Hz, 100 microT sinusoidal ELF magnetic field increased [Ca2+]i to a marked level, whereas a static field or a field of higher frequency (2000 Hz) did not cause a [Ca2+]i increase. The magnetic field-induced [Ca2+]i rise was partly due to an influx of extracellular Ca2+ and partly due to the release of intracellular Ca2+ pool. It seemed likely that the Ca2+ transport ability of the cell membranes was increased by the 50 Hz magnetic field.