IMR Press / FBL / Volume 13 / Issue 16 / DOI: 10.2741/3141

Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark (FBL) is published by IMR Press from Volume 26 Issue 5 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Article
Effects of static magnetic fields in biology: role of free radicals
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1 International Innovation Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

 

Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2008, 13(16), 6106–6125; https://doi.org/10.2741/3141
Published: 1 May 2008
Abstract

Biological systems can respond to a wide range of static magnetic fields (SMF). Some of these responses seem to be mediated partly through free radical reactions. For example, in magnetic sense and navigation using the geomagnetic field, one of the most promising mechanisms for explaining magnetic compass is "a radical pair mechanism". Biological free radicals are most commonly oxygen or nitrogen based with an unpaired electron, leading to the terms "reactive oxygen species (ROS)" or "reactive nitrogen species (RNS)". When applying SMF to medical treatment, coupling SMF exposure with possible chemotherapy of cancers is a novel fascinating area that SMF could enhance agent-induced ROS production against tumors. In addition, one of the potent mechanisms of SMF effects on hemodynamics and blood pressure has sometimes been linked to nitric oxide pathway. However, health and environmental concerns have been raised because the SMF effects on oxidative stress leading to genetic mutation and apoptosis/necrosis have been found. It seems to take place from free radical generation.

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