Effect of a magnetic field on Drosophila under supercooled conditions

PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e51902. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051902. Epub 2012 Dec 28.

Abstract

Under subzero degree conditions, free water contained in biological cells tends to freeze and then most living things die due to low temperatures. We examined the effect of a variable magnetic field on Drosophila under supercooled conditions (a state in which freezing is not caused even below the freezing point). Under such supercooled conditions with the magnetic field at 0°C for 72 hours, -4°C for 24 hours and -8°C for 1 hour, the Drosophila all survived, while all conversely died under the supercooled conditions without the magnetic field. This result indicates a possibility that the magnetic field can reduce cell damage caused due to low temperatures in living things.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Drosophila / physiology*
  • Freezing*
  • Magnetic Fields*
  • Temperature
  • Time Factors
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Water

Grants and funding

This research was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for General Science Research from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture, Japan. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.