Effects of magnetic fields on dissolution of arthritis causing crystals

The number of gout patients has rapidly increased because of excess alcohol and salt intake. The agent responsible for gout is the monosodium urate (MSU) crystal. MSU crystals are found in blood and consist of uric acid and sodium. As a substitute for drug dosing or excessive water intake, physical...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied physics 2015-05, Vol.117 (17)
Main Authors: Takeuchi, Y., Iwasaka, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anisotropy
Arthritis
Crystals
Diamagnetism
Dissolution
Field strength
Health services
Light transmission
Magnetic fields
Magnetic permeability
Magnetism
Rheumatism
Uric acid
Water intakes
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Summary:The number of gout patients has rapidly increased because of excess alcohol and salt intake. The agent responsible for gout is the monosodium urate (MSU) crystal. MSU crystals are found in blood and consist of uric acid and sodium. As a substitute for drug dosing or excessive water intake, physical stimulation by magnetic fields represents a new medical treatment for gout. In this study, we investigated the effects of a magnetic field on the dissolution of a MSU crystal suspension. The white MSU crystal suspension was dissolved in an alkaline solution. We measured the light transmission of the MSU crystal suspension by a transmitted light measuring system. The magnetic field was generated by a horizontal electromagnet (maximum field strength was 500 mT). The MSU crystal suspension that dissolved during the application of a magnetic field of 500 mT clearly had a higher dissolution rate when compared with the control sample. We postulate that the alkali solution promoted penetration upon diamagnetic rotation and this magnetic field orienting is because of the pronounced diamagnetic susceptibility anisotropy of the MSU crystal. The results indicate that magnetic fields represent an effective gout treatment approach.
ISSN:0021-8979
1089-7550
DOI:10.1063/1.4919037