Static Magnetic Fields Enhanced the Potency of Cisplatin on K562 Cells

Purpose: This study investigates whether 8.8mT static magnetic fields (SMFs) can enhance the killing potency of cisplatin (DDP) on human leukemic cells (K562). Methods: The cell proliferation, cell cycle distribution, DNA damage, and the change in cell surface ultrastructure after K562 cells were exposed to 8.8mT SMFs with or without DDP were analyzed. Results: The results show that SMFs enhanced the killing effect of DDP on K562 cells, reducing the efficient killing concentration of DDP on K562 cells from 20 to 10 mu g/mL. Atomic force microscope observation showed that the cell surface ultrastructure was altered. The results of fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis indicated that K562 cells treated with SMF plus DDP were arrested at the S phase. The SMF exposure induced DNA to become thicker than controls, and breakage of DNA occurred in the DDP group; however, DNA breakage was increased in the SMF+DDP group. Conclusions: The results show that SMFs enhanced the anticancer effect of DDP on K562 cells. The mechanism correlated with the DNA damage model. This study also shows the potentiality of SMFs as an adjunctive treatment method for chemotherapy.