Anti-inflammatory effects of pulsed magnetic field on the immune system

Abstract

When an inflammatory response occurs in the body, primary immune cells, such as macrophages, phagocytize and present antigens, and secondary immune cells, such as T cells, produce antibodies against the presented antigens to prevent infection in the body. Abnormalities in the immune system releases pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6, leading to rheumatoid arthritis and sepsis. This study aimed to confirm the change in inflammatory activity across innate immunity and acquired immunity while investigating the effects of pulsed magnetic field (PMF) on the immune system to regulate excessive inflammation. Raw 264.7 and EL4 cells were co-cultured in a DMEM medium using permeable cell culture inserts and inflammation was induced using LPS. Our PMF stimulator has the maximum intensity of 4700 G at a transition time of 136 μs with pulse intervals of 1 Hz. In order to confirm anti-inflammatory effects of PMF, the level of IL-6, pH and mitochondrial respiration rate (MRR) were measured using ELISA, pH meter and MTT assay, respectively. It was observed in vitro that inflammation-induced macrophages induce activation of T cells, as evidenced by the faster acidification in pH, increased IL-6 expression, and enhanced MRR, compared to T cells. But after PMF stimulation, pH levels improved, the concentration of IL-6 reduced, and MRR decreased in both macrophages and T-cells, which indicates inflammation relief. Our results show that macrophages, the primary immune cells, are first involved in the inflammatory response and recovery and influence T cells, the secondary immune cells. Therefore PMF stimulus is thought to affect the immune system of the human body by balancing the activation and suppression of immune cells and improve anti-inflammation. For clinical use, non-invasive PMF can be developed as a medical devices modulating immune system with optimizing the PMF conditions such as pulse shape, duration, or repetition rate.