Effect of 50Hz Magnetic Field exposure on Neuroblastoma Morphology.

Neuroblastoma is one of the most common paediatric solid tumors originating from the sympathoadrenal lineage of neural crest. This tumor shows extremely different clinical phenotypes such as spontaneous regression on one hand and aggressive growth on the other hand. Undifferentiated neuroblastoma cell line (Lan-5) represent a good model to study neuronal differentiation induced by a variety of stimuli such as retinoic acid treatment. At scanning electron microscopy analysis this cells showed rare neurite-like processes containing a small amount of neurosecretory granules and a low expression of the neurofilaments polypeptides. In our experiments the exposure for 5 days to 50 Hz, 2 mT magnetic field inhibits cell growth proliferation with a decrease of 30 % in exposed cells respect to the control. Moreover at scanning electron microscopy exposed cells showed a neuronal morphology aspect and development of a larger amount of neuritic like processes than in the control cells. Also the immunofluorescent analysis of 50 Hz, 2mT exposed cells shows an enhancement on the expression of NF200. These results suggest that exposition of Lan-5 to 50 Hz, 2mT magnetic field can interfere with cell growth process and induce a neuronal like cell morphology.