Spin Biochemistry Modulates Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Production by Radio Frequency Magnetic Fields

The effects of weak magnetic fields on the biological production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from intracellular superoxide (O(2) (•−)) and extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) were investigated in vitro with rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (rPASMC). A decrease in O(2) (•−) and an increase in H(2)O(2) concentrations were observed in the presence of a 7 MHz radio frequency (RF) at 10 μT(RMS) and static 45 μT magnetic fields. We propose that O(2) (•−) and H(2)O(2) production in some metabolic processes occur through singlet-triplet modulation of semiquinone flavin (FADH(•)) enzymes and O(2) (•−) spin-correlated radical pairs. Spin-radical pair products are modulated by the 7 MHz RF magnetic fields that presumably decouple flavin hyperfine interactions during spin coherence. RF flavin hyperfine decoupling results in an increase of H(2)O(2) singlet state products, which creates cellular oxidative stress and acts as a secondary messenger that affects cellular proliferation. This study demonstrates the interplay between O(2) (•−) and H(2)O(2) production when influenced by RF magnetic fields and underscores the subtle effects of low-frequency magnetic fields on oxidative metabolism, ROS signaling, and cellular growth.