The effects of exposure to a 50 Hz magnetic field on the occurence of leukemia in a mouse model with a genetic predisposition for leukemia should be investigated.
The most common chromosomal alteration detected in childhood B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B‐ALL) cases is the ETV6‐RUNX1 fusion gene. This genetical predisposition constitutes an initial step in the complex development of B-ALL, making subjects suspectible to subsequent exposure to exogenous agents as a secondary step what finally results in a full-blown leukemia.
To investigate these relations, ETV6‐RUNX1-positive mice were developed as a model organism and used in this pilot study from the ARIMMORA project to investigate whether magnetic field exposure constitutes such a second step in the pathogenesis of B-ALL.
Mice were divided into 2 groups: an exposure group (n=34) and a control group (cage control) (n=27). The animals were examined every 1-2 months until 2 years of age.
| Exposure | Parameters |
|---|---|
|
Exposure 1:
50 Hz
Exposure duration:
10min/5min on/off cycle for 20 hours/day from conception until 3 months of age
|
|
| Frequency | 50 Hz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Waveform | |
| Exposure duration | 10min/5min on/off cycle for 20 hours/day from conception until 3 months of age |
| Exposure source | |
|---|---|
| Chamber | cages (21 × 28 × 15 cm) made of plastic without any metal component |
| Setup | a Merritt coil system created a magnetic field with inhomogeneity less than ±5% in a exposure volume of 55 × 50 × 55 cm (w × d × h) for 12 cages; 2 additional larger field coils were placed outside the main field coils with opposite current flow for active stray field cancellation; the cages were mounted in a cage rack, which was supported independently from the field coils to prevent conduction of current‐induced vibrations; no audible noise was detectable above the low background noise of the animal room |
| Additional info | Control mice were maintained in the same racks in the same room, at a distance where the field of the exposure system was decayed and only normal background levels of 0.25 μT were measured |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| magnetic flux density | 1.5 mT | - | measured | - | 3.1% standard deviation |
One mice of the exposure group developed B‐ALL while none of the animals in the control group did. The authors conclude, that although this result is statistically non‐significant due to the limited number of mice used in this pilot study, the results show that the newly developed ETV6‐RUNX1-positive mouse model can be successfully used for ELF magnetic field exposure studies about the etiology of childhood B‐ALL.
This website uses cookies to provide you the best browsing experience. By continuing to use this website you accept our use of cookies.
