Acta Veterinaria Hungarica
DOI 10.1556/AVet.2013.014
Krzysztof Pawlak 1), Andrzej Sechman 2), Zenon Nieckarz 4) & Dorota Wojtysiak 3)
1) University of Agriculture in Kraków Department of Poultry and Fur Animal Breeding and Animal Hygiene Al. Mickiewicza 24/28 30-059 Kraków Poland
2) University of Agriculture in Kraków Department of Animal Physiology and Endocrinology Al. Mickiewicza 24/28 30-059 Kraków Poland
3) University of Agriculture in Kraków Department of Animal Reproduction and Anatomy Al. Mickiewicza 24/28 30-059 Kraków Poland
4) Jagiellonian University in Kraków Experimental Computer Physics Department, Institute of Physics Kraków Poland
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1556/AVet.2013.014
Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of alternating electromagnetic field (EMF; 50 Hz frequency, 50 and 100 μT induction) on cardiac work of the chick embryo. Eggs from the experimental groups were exposed to EMF throughout incubation. During the experiment, heart rate (ballistocardiographic method), thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations, heart weight, ventricle wall thickness, and levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were determined. The results show, for the first time, that the exposure of chick embryos to EMF augments the heart rate, especially from 17 days of incubation. The increased heart rate in the embryos exposed to EMF was associated with considerable increases in plasma T4 and T3 concentrations, which were recorded during the final stage of embryogenesis. The significant effect of the 100-μT field on heart weight and blood AST levels in the embryos suggests that EMF has a direct effect on the physiological function of cardiac muscle.
