Effects of static magnetic fields on the voltage-gated potassium channel currents in trigeminal root ganglion neurons.
Shen JF, Chao YL, Du L. · 2007
View Original AbstractStatic magnetic fields at 125 millitesla disrupted nerve cell ion channels, showing how EMF exposure can alter fundamental cellular electrical processes.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rat nerve cells from the trigeminal ganglion (which controls facial sensation) to static magnetic fields at 125 millitesla and measured how this affected potassium channels that help control nerve cell activity. They found that the magnetic field altered how these channels turned off (inactivated), potentially disrupting normal nerve function. This suggests that moderate-strength magnetic fields can physically deform cell membranes and change how critical ion channels operate.
Why This Matters
This research provides direct evidence that static magnetic fields at moderate intensities can disrupt fundamental cellular processes in nerve cells. The 125 millitesla exposure used here is roughly 2,500 times stronger than Earth's magnetic field, comparable to what you might encounter very close to some industrial equipment or certain medical devices. What makes this study particularly significant is that it demonstrates a specific biological mechanism - the alteration of ion channel function - through which magnetic fields could affect nervous system activity. The trigeminal nerve controls facial sensation, and disruption of its normal electrical activity could potentially contribute to various neurological symptoms. While this was a laboratory study on isolated cells, it adds to the growing body of evidence that EMF exposure can cause measurable biological changes at the cellular level.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 125 mG
Exposure Context
This study used 125 mG for magnetic fields:
- 6.2Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 1.3Mx 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
To evaluated the effects of moderate-intensity static magnetic fields (SMF) on two types of voltage-gated potassium channel (VGPC) currents: IK,A and IK,V
whole-cell patch-clamp experiments were conducted on acute dissociated rat trigeminal root ganglion ...
The results demonstrated that 125 mT SMF could influence the inactivation kinetics of these two VGPC...
These findings supported the hypothesis that biological membrane would be deformed in moderate-intensity SMF and the physiological characteristics of ion channels on the membrane would be influenced. The mechanism underlying the different effects of SMF on the IK,A and IK,V inactivation was also discussed.
Show BibTeX
@article{jf_2007_effects_of_static_magnetic_713,
author = {Shen JF and Chao YL and Du L.},
title = {Effects of static magnetic fields on the voltage-gated potassium channel currents in trigeminal root ganglion neurons.},
year = {2007},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304394007000316},
}