Effect of magnetic field on the intracellular environment

为了揭示磁场对活体生物的生理效应，对草履虫原生动物施加磁场，首先施加交流磁场(60 Hz，0.6T)，诱导草履虫细胞在悬浮液的上部显著积累。向上侧堆积的细胞游动轨迹显示，大多数细胞逐渐改变游动方向，向上游动。这一结果表明，交流磁场可能增强了由于感应重力而产生的负重力轴。接下来，当草履虫细胞被置于0.7T的直流磁场中时，细胞开始垂直于磁场游动。这种反应被认为是由细胞间器官的抗磁性引起的。蛋白质或核苷酸的规则排列增加了抗磁性。然后，从细胞中提取大核、纤毛和毛囊，并检测这些器官在直流磁场中的定位。虽然大核没有改变取向，但纤毛和毛囊都改变了取向，使其几乎平行于磁场。纤毛和毛囊分布在表膜上，大部分垂直于细胞长轴。这种情况会导致电池垂直于磁场游动。因此，草履虫对直流磁场的响应主要来源于胞内器官的抗磁性。

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.