We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Pineal gland 'magnetosensitivity' to static magnetic fields is a consequence of induced electric currents (eddy currents).
- Authors
Lerchl, Alexander; Nonaka, Keico O.; Reiter, Russel J.
- Abstract
During the past decade, a number of reports indicated that the mammalian pineal gland is magnetosensitive in terms of spatial orientation. This indication is based on observations that artificial alterations of the direction of the earth's magnetic field (MF) markedly decreased the gland's capability to synthesize melatonin. These findings, however, seem paradoxical since animals as well as humans experience such alterations whenever they turn their heads. Therefore, the potential of the pineal for sensing magnetic fields was re-investigated. During the dark phase, rats were exposed to repeatedly inverted MFs, generated by two identical pairs of Helmholtz coils; one pair connected to a power supply automatically, the other pair manually using an integrated potentiometer. Only the pineals of animals exposed to the automatically activated field responded with a reduced activity of the rate-limiting enzyme serotonin- N-acetyltransferase, lower melatonin levels and increases in serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid. Hence, MF exposure itself did not affect the pineal. Rather, induced eddy currents in the animals, resulting from rapid On/Off transients of the artificially applied MF, are most likely the explanation.
- Publication
Journal of Pineal Research, 1991, Vol 10, Issue 3, p109
- ISSN
0742-3098
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1600-079X.1991.tb00826.x