Early embryonic development of frogs under intense magnetic fields up to 8 T

A possible influence of intense magnetic fields on the embryonic development of frogs was studied in reference to a potential hazard in magnetic resonance imaging technology. Some of the most serious hazardous effects that could be induced by intense magnetic fields are teratogenic effects on developing embryos. In the present experiment, the possible influence of intense magnetic fields up to 8 T on the early embryonic development of Xenopus laevis was studied. Embryos were exposed to magnetic fields up to 8 T for the period from the precleavage stage to neurula in a small glass vial. Embryos were then cultured in Brown–Caston’s medium until the feeding-tadpole stage. No apparent teratogenic effects were observed when embryos were cultured for 20 h from the stage of uncleaved fertilized egg to the neurula stage under magnetic fields of 8 T. We conclude that static magnetic fields up to 8 T do not appreciably affect the rapid cleavage and the following cell multiplication and differentiation in Xenopus laevis. We have also studied the early embryonic development of Xenopus laevis in a 40 nT magnetic field, or 1/1000 of the earth’s magnetic field, and obtained negative results. Thus, again under this very low magnetic field, fertilized eggs developed normally and formed tadpoles with no appreciable abnormality.