Melatonin and N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenylnitrone block 60-Hz magnetic field-induced DNA single and double strand breaks in rat brain cells.
Lai H, Singh NP · 1997
View Original Abstract60-Hz magnetic fields caused DNA breaks in rat brain cells, but antioxidants completely blocked this damage.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to 60-Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency as household electricity) and found that this exposure caused DNA breaks in brain cells. However, when the rats were given melatonin or another antioxidant compound before exposure, these protective substances completely blocked the DNA damage. This suggests that magnetic fields may damage DNA through free radical formation, and that antioxidants might offer protection.
Why This Matters
This study provides crucial evidence that extremely low frequency magnetic fields can directly damage DNA in brain tissue, and it reveals the likely mechanism behind this damage. The 0.5 mT exposure level used here is roughly 10 times stronger than typical household magnetic field exposures, but well within the range you might encounter near electrical appliances or power lines. What makes this research particularly significant is that it identifies free radical formation as the pathway through which magnetic fields cause DNA damage. The fact that both melatonin and PBN completely prevented the DNA breaks strongly supports this oxidative stress mechanism. This finding connects EMF research to decades of established science on how free radicals damage cells and DNA. While you shouldn't interpret this as medical advice to take melatonin, the research does suggest that maintaining good antioxidant status through diet and lifestyle may be one way to support your body's natural defenses against EMF exposure.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.5 mG
- Source/Device
- 60-Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 hours
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
The present experiment was carried out to investigate whether treatment with melatonin and the spin-trap compound N-tert-butyl-α-phenylnitrone (PBN) could block the effect of magnetic fields on brain cell DNA.
Rats were injected with melatonin (1 mg/kg, sc) or PBN (100 mg/kg, ip) immediately before and after ...
We found that both drug treatments blocked the magnetic field-induced DNA single-and double-strand b...
Show BibTeX
@article{h_1997_melatonin_and_ntertbutylalphaphenylnitrone_block_404,
author = {Lai H and Singh NP},
title = {Melatonin and N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenylnitrone block 60-Hz magnetic field-induced DNA single and double strand breaks in rat brain cells.},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1111/j.1600-079X.1997.tb00317.x},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-079X.1997.tb00317.x},
}