Effects of short term and long term Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Field on depressive disorder in mice: Involvement of nitric oxide pathway
Ansari AM, Farzampour S, Sadr A, Shekarchi B, Majidzadeh-A K. · 2016
View Original AbstractLong-term magnetic field exposure at 0.5 mT reduced depression-like behavior in mice by altering brain nitric oxide levels.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (the type produced by power lines and electrical devices) for either 2 hours once or 2 hours daily for 2 weeks. They found that long-term exposure actually reduced depression-like behavior in the mice, while short-term exposure had no effect. The study suggests these magnetic fields may alter brain chemistry by affecting nitric oxide levels, which plays a role in mood regulation.
Why This Matters
This study adds an important piece to our understanding of how ELF magnetic fields affect brain function, specifically mood regulation. The 0.5 mT exposure level used here is significantly higher than typical household exposures (which range from 0.01 to 0.2 mT near appliances), but within the range you might encounter near power lines or electrical equipment. What's particularly noteworthy is the finding that chronic exposure appeared to have an antidepressant-like effect, while acute exposure interfered with the action of an antidepressant drug. This suggests that ELF magnetic fields can indeed alter brain neurochemistry in measurable ways, specifically affecting the nitric oxide pathway that's crucial for neurotransmitter function. While this particular effect might seem beneficial, the reality is that any biological effect demonstrates that these fields are not biologically inert as often claimed by industry.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.5 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- single 2 h and 2 weeks 2 h a day
Exposure Context
This study used 0.5 mG for magnetic fields:
- 25Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 5Kx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 1 mG
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
In the current study, we aimed to assess the possible effect(s) of ELF MF exposure on mice Forced Swimming Test (FST) and evaluate the probable role of the increased level of nitric oxide in the observed behavior.
Male adult mice NMRI were recruited to investigate the short term and long term ELF MF exposure (0.5...
According to the results, short term exposure did not alter the immobility time, whereas long term e...
It has been concluded that long term exposure could alter the depressive disorder in mice, whereas short term exposure has no significant effect. Also, reversing the anti-depressant activity of L-NAME indicates a probable increase in the brain nitric oxide.
Show BibTeX
@article{am_2016_effects_of_short_term_320,
author = {Ansari AM and Farzampour S and Sadr A and Shekarchi B and Majidzadeh-A K.},
title = {Effects of short term and long term Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Field on depressive disorder in mice: Involvement of nitric oxide pathway},
year = {2016},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002432051530148X},
}