Background: Spring water exhibits “aging”, characterized by increased oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and diminished therapeutic efficacy. However, the influence of spring water ORP on the body during bathing is unknown. Gout has been treated by spa bathing and by acupuncture, as well as pharmacologically. We accordingly examined the relationship between ORP and uric acid excretion, and that between ORP and ryodoraku current, which is closely related to acupuncture.
Design: Three groups of three volunteers each bathed in a different solution; sulphur-containing spring water, bicarbonate-containing spring water, or tap water. Serial changes in uric acid excretion and ryodoraku were measured.
Results: Urinary uric acid: creatinine ratio and ryodoraku current increased after sulphur spring water bathing and diminished after tap water bathing. Urinary ORP was negatively correlated with urinary uric acid: creatinine ratio and urinary pH. Ryodoraku current and urine ORP changed in opposite directions.
Conclusion: Bathing water ORP affected urinary ORP, urinary uric acid excretion, and ryodoraku current. Urinary ORP was assumed to reflect interstitial fluid ORP, suggesting that uric acid excretion and ryodoraku current were affected by interstitial fluid ORP. These findings appeared to indicate that ORP influenced cell membrane potential because voltage-dependent transporters or channels exist in the kidney and epidermis. Moreover, as urinary ORP was negatively correlated with urinary pH, ORP seemed to electrically buffer pH. As these findings can be explained by the Nernst equation by which ORP is derived, ORP of spring water might electrically influence the organism during bathing.

Aim To explore the effect of sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide(PL) on primary multiple myeloma(MM) cell and cell lines and its molecular mechanisms.Methods Fresh bone marrow cells from MM patients and MM cell lines KMM-1 and MM1S were used for in vitro culture study.The cell survival rate was examined by Trypan Blue exclusion.The change of nucleolus stained with DAPI was observed under fluorescent microscope.Reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels and mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP) were detected by flow cytometry.Results 2.5 ?mol?L-1 PL induced MM cell apoptosis and MMP was profoundly decreased in KMM-1 and MM1S cells.In contrast,normal lymphocytes cells were unaffected by the same conditions.KMM-1 and MM1S cells showed large increases of ROS levels 10 h after 2.5 ?mol?L-1 PL treatment.The free radical scavenger L-N-acetylcystein(L-NAC) pretreatment completely inhibited ROS generation,cell death and nuclear fragmentation by PL.Diphenylene iodonium chloride(DPI) pretreatment in a dose of 2.5 ?mol?L-1 strongly inhibited PL-mediated ROS generation,nuclear fragmentation in KMM-1 and MM1S cells.Conclusions PL strongly induces apoptosis in MM cell,while normal lymphocytes cells are completely unaffected by the same conditions.Since its proapoptotic activity appears to be mediated through induction of oxidative stress in MM cells,its possible mechanism is that NADPH oxidase activation is involved in PL-mediated ROS generation.

Animals ; Desmin ; analysis ; genetics ; Female ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intermediate Filament Proteins ; analysis ; genetics ; Kidney Glomerulus ; chemistry ; Nephrosis ; metabolism ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; analysis ; genetics ; Nestin ; Podocytes ; chemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Vimentin ; analysis ; genetics