Effects of negative air ions on activity of neural substrates involved in autonomic regulation in rats

Suzuki, Satoko; Yanagita, Shinya; Amemiya, Shin; Kato, Yumi; Kubota, Natsuko; Ryushi, Tomoo; Kita, Ichiro

doi:10.1007/s00484-007-0143-2

Cited by 13 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…Three studies of animals exposed to positive and negative air ions for periods of 30 min to 8 weeks reported no modest or consistent effects of exposure on heart rate, respiration rate, or blood pressure [ 106 – 108 ]. The fourth study, Suzuki et al [ 109 ], measured the heart rate and blood pressure responses of anesthetized rats to negative air ions and reported no reliable effects. Suzuki et al [ 109 ], however, also measured levels of c - fos protein, a marker of neuronal activity, in brain regions that receive input from peripheral sensory autonomic nerves.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure of laboratory animals to small air ions: a systematic review of biological and behavioral studies

2018

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BackgroundAir ions are molecules of air that have become ionized—that is, they have either lost or gained an electrical charge. Past speculation has suggested that exposure to positive air ions may be harmful to one’s health, while exposure to negative air ions may be associated with beneficial health effects. Air ions arise from natural sources as well as direct-current transmission lines and commercial ionizers. Several recent clinical studies have suggested therapeutic effects of air ions on various types of depression at exposure levels 10- to 1000-fold higher than most previous human studies. The aim of this study was to assess the evidence from studies of laboratory animals for beneficial or adverse effects of air ions on health.MethodsSixty-two studies (1935–2015) in nine topics areas were evaluated for quality and potential systematic bias by ARRIVE guidelines. Standardized mean differences or proportional differences between exposed and control groups were computed for 44 studies to quantitatively assess the strength of the evidence for exposure-related effects.ResultsMany of the studies were conducted before 1990 and exhibited various reporting and methodological deficiencies, including small sample size, failure to control for the influence of potential confounding variables, lack of randomized assignment to treatment groups and blinded analyses, and statistical errors relating to treating group-exposed animals as individuals. The highest quality studies consistently reported no effects of exposure on any of the endpoints examined. There were no evident dose–response relationships within or across studies.ConclusionsExperimental studies of laboratory animals exposed to positive and negative air ions for minutes to years over a five-log unit range of intensities did not suggest any consistent or reliable effects on measures of behavior, learning and memory, neurotransmitters, tracheal function, respiratory infection, cardiovascular function, reproduction and growth, carcinogenesis, or other health endpoints. These data do not provide evidence of adverse or beneficial effects of air ion exposure on health, and did not suggest any biological mechanism of interaction, except perhaps for mechanosensory stimulation of body surfaces by static electric fields at high air ion concentrations.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12938-018-0499-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure of laboratory animals to small air ions: a systematic review of biological and behavioral studies

2018

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“…In a study on rats, negative air ions were also found to modulate the regulation of autonomic nervous system activity and to influence HRV [ 32 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure to Air Ions in Indoor Environments: Experimental Study with Healthy Adults

Wallner

Kundi

Panny

et al. 2015

IJERPH

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Since the beginning of the 20th century there has been a scientific debate about the potential effects of air ions on biological tissues, wellbeing and health. Effects on the cardiovascular and respiratory system as well as on mental health have been described. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in this topic. In an experimental indoor setting we conducted a double-blind cross-over trial to determine if higher levels of air ions, generated by a special wall paint, affect cognitive performance, wellbeing, lung function, and cardiovascular function. Twenty healthy non-smoking volunteers (10 female, 10 male) participated in the study. Levels of air ions, volatile organic compounds and indoor climate factors were determined by standardized measurement procedures. Air ions affected the autonomous nervous system (in terms of an increase of sympathetic activity accompanied by a small decrease of vagal efferent activity): In the test room with higher levels of air ions (2194/cm3 vs. 1038/cm3) a significantly higher low to high frequency ratio of the electrocardiography (ECG) beat-to-beat interval spectrogram was found. Furthermore, six of nine subtests of a cognitive performance test were solved better, three of them statistically significant (verbal factor, reasoning, and perceptual speed), in the room with higher ion concentration. There was no influence of air ions on lung function and on wellbeing. Our results indicate slightly activating and cognitive performance enhancing effects of a short-term exposure to higher indoor air ion concentrations.

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“…They thought that the measured skin temperature elevation might be the result of the acceleration of percutaneous blood circulation. Niwa et al22 moreover, suggested that far-infrared radiation could induce cellular activation in a variety of tissues by increasing [Ca 2+ ] uptake by the cell membrane, while Suzuki et al27 suggested that negative ions contribute to the inhibition of stress responses via a neural mechanism, involving the modulation of autonomic regulation. Also there are reports that daily treatment with an infrared lamp raised skin temperature, induced improvement in all patients within 3 weeks23.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Clinical Efficacy, Safety and Functionality of Anion Textile in the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis

et al. 2012

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BackgroundSeveral previous studies have suggested the improvement of atopic dermatitis (AD) in response to special fabrics. In particular, beneficial effects have been reported, following the use of anion textiles.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of an anion textile in patients suffering from AD.MethodsWe compared an anion textile with a pure cotton textile. Fifty-two atopic patients (n=52) were enrolled and divided into two groups. The patients in the test (n=25) and control (n=19) groups wore undergarments made of an anion textile or pure cotton over a period of 4 weeks. The overall severity of disease was evaluated using the SCORing atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) index, whereas, the treatment efficacy was measured using a Tewameter® (Courage & Khazaka, Cologne, Germany), Mexameter® (Courage & Khazaka) and Corneo meter® (Courage & Khazaka).ResultsAt the end of the study, a significant decrease in the SCORAD index was observed among the patients with AD in the test group (mean SCORAD decreased from 47.2 to 36.1). Similarly, improvements in the mean transepidermal water loss, skin erythema and stratum corneum hydration were significantly greater among the patients with AD in the test group than in the control group.ConclusionAnion textiles may be used to significantly improve the objective and subjective symptoms of AD, and are similar in terms of comfort to cotton textiles. The use of anion textiles may be beneficial in the management of patients with AD.

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Effects of negative air ions on activity of neural substrates involved in autonomic regulation in rats

Cited by 13 publications

References 49 publications

Exposure of laboratory animals to small air ions: a systematic review of biological and behavioral studies

Exposure of laboratory animals to small air ions: a systematic review of biological and behavioral studies

Exposure to Air Ions in Indoor Environments: Experimental Study with Healthy Adults

The Clinical Efficacy, Safety and Functionality of Anion Textile in the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis

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