Effect of magnetic field on the intracellular environment

为了揭示磁场对生物体的生理效应，我们将磁场作用于原生动物草履虫，首先，施加交流磁场（60 Hz，0.6 T）诱导草履虫细胞显著聚集到悬浮液的上部。向上聚集的细胞游动轨迹显示，大多数细胞逐渐改变游动方向，朝向上。这一结果表明，交流磁场可能会加强负重力轴，这是由于感应重力。交流磁场是如何增加对重力的敏感性的，有待进一步研究。接下来，将草履虫细胞置于直流磁场（0.7T）中，细胞开始垂直于磁场方向游动。这种反应被认为是由细胞间器官的抗磁性引起的。抗磁性随着蛋白质或核苷酸的规则排列而增加。然后，从细胞中提取大核、纤毛和纤毛囊，并测试这些器官在直流磁场中的取向。虽然大核没有改变方向，纤毛和纤毛囊改变方向，几乎平行于磁场。纤毛和纤毛囊分布在细胞表面，大部分与细胞长轴垂直。这种情况导致细胞在垂直于磁场的方向上游动。因此，草履虫对直流磁场的反应实质上是细胞内器官的抗磁性。

In order to reveal the physiological effect of magnetic field on the living organisms, we applied the magnetic field to the protozoan, Paramecium.First, application of AC magnetic field (60 Hz, 0.6 T) induced Paramecium cells to accumulate remarkably to upper part of the suspension. Swimming tracks of the cells accumulating to upper side showed that most cells gradually change the swimming direction to orient to upward one. This result indicates the possibility that the AC magnetic field strengthens the negative gravitaxis which is caused by sensing the gravity. How the sensitivity to gravity is increased by the AC magnetic field must be studied further.Next, when Paramecium cells were placed in a DC magnetic field (0.7 T), the cells began to swim perpendicularly to the magnetic field. Such response is supposed to be originated by a diamagnetism of intercellular organs. The diamagnetism is increased with the regular arrangements of proteins or nucleotides. Then, macronuclei, cilia and trichocyst were extracted from the cell and the orientation of those organs in DC magnetic field were tested. Although macronuclei did not change the orientation, both cilia and trichocyst changed the orientation to direct almost parallel to the magnetic field. Cilia and trichocyst distribute on the surface membrane and most parts of them direct perpendicularly to the long axis of cell. Such situation causes the cell to swim in perpendicular to the magnetic field. It is concluded that the response of Paramecium against DC magnetic field is essentially originated from diamagnetism of intracellular organs.