Exposure to magnetic field (5 mT at 60 Hz) does not affect cell growth and c-myc gene expression.

We designed and manufactured equipment for long-term and low-density (0 to 9 mT) exposures of cultured cells to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF), and examined the effects of ELF-MF on cell growth and c-myc mRNA expression in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The ELF-MF equipment consists of a CO2 incubator with a built-in magnet generator using Helmholtz coils being 250 mm in inner diameter, 160 mm in distance and 128 turns, a slide regulator and a thermocontroller. No significant difference in the growth rate and the c-myc expression of CHO cells was observed with 5 mT ELF-MF exposure, sham-exposure and incubation in a conventional incubator.