Examination of the effects of pulsed and continuous electromagnetic fields on toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii) is an intracellular parasite found throughout the world and capable of infecting all mammals. The parasite invades the host cell through its plasma membrane with formation of a parasitophorous vacoule. Factors and mechanism responsible for virulent toxoplasma infections has not been explained yet. The possible effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) on both the invasion of the host cell and virulence of T. gondii are aimed in this work. Furthermore, determination of the possible effect of EMF on intracellular microorganisms was planned by taking T.gondii as a model.Electromagnetic effects on T.gondii have been shown by in vitro and in vivo experiments. In our study, adult male Balb/c mice have been used, containing randomly selected 10 mice in each group. During in vivo experiments, the solutions containing 105 T.gondii per ml were intraperitonally injected into the male adult Balb/c mice (n=30). Then, pulsed (duration time 1.3 ms, 75 Hz, 2.3 mT 8 hr/day) and continuous (50 Hz, alternating current, 2 mT, 8 hr/day) EMF were applied for 5 days to the infected mice. EMF didn?t apply to the control group. During in vitro experiments, pulsed (duration time 1.3 ms, 75 Hz, 2.3 mT) and continuous (50 Hz, alternating current, 2 mT) EMF were applied to the tachyzoites containing peritoneal liquids for 8 hours at 4 ? C in a day. The same conditions except EMF were applied to the controls. Then, tachyzoites containing periton liquids which were exposed either EMF or not have been injected to mice containing 105 T.gondii per ml. The amount of T.gondii within all tachyzoites containing periton liquid has been counted to determine the effect of EMF. All the taken samples have been investigated of T.gondii protein bands by using SDS-PAGE technique.In vivo and in vitro experiments determined that pulsed and continuous EMF reduced the number of T.gondii compared to controls. However, no differences have been observed at the protein bands of T.gondii examined by SDS-PAGE technique. These results showed that EMF has some effects on T.gondii but these effects should be investigated by using advance techniques.