Effect of a Static Magnetic Field on Susceptibility to Ethanol-Induced Hepatic Dysfunction in Rats

To determine whether alcohol-treated rat liver cells can be protected by a static magnetic field (SMF), we analyzed the blood chemistry and histology of hepatic tissue removed from alcohol-exposed rats that had been exposed to a static magnetic field. The rats were exposed to a 0.3 tesla (3,000 gauss) magnetic field (MF) for 24 hr daily for 5 weeks with appropriate controls. Glutamic pyruvic transaminase activity and the triglyceride levels in animals exposed to the north (N) or south (S) pole of the MF decreased significantly (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively) compared with negative control animals with alcohol exposure. A histological examination of hepatic tissue revealed a moderate to severe accumulation of fat vacuoles of various sizes in the cytoplasm of the hepatocytes of animals in the negative control group throughout the study; whereas in groups exposed to the MF poles, fewer fat vacuoles were seen compared with the negative control group. Electron microscopic observations showed that exposure to the N or S pole protected organelles, including the nucleus, from damage during exposure to this toxic agent, as indicated by the fact that the nucleus and the mithochondria virtually retained their shape throughout this study. These results suggest that exposure to a SMF could be an excellent way of protecting against alcohol-induced damage to the rat liver cell.