Recent studies on health effects of Misasa radon hot spring

Kataoka, Takahiro*; Sakoda, Akihiro   ; Etani, Reo*; Ishimori, Yuu  ; Mitsunobu, Fumihiro*; Yamaoka, Kiyonori*

Radon therapy using radon hot spring has been performed at Misasa Medical Center, Okayama University Hospital. This therapy can relieve some symptoms like pain. There have been many clinical studies, but very little data available to explain why radon inhalation results in such positive effects. The present paper mainly mentions our recent studies on health effects of radon hot spring. To clarify the radon effects, we first developed a radon exposure system for small animals. Using this system, especially in terms of antioxidative functions, we have examined effects of radon inhalation on mice. One of the results showed that the inhalation increased the activity of superoxide dismutase, which is an antioxidative enzyme, in many organs. The protective effect of radon on type I diabetes in mice was also shown. These findings indicate that the activation of antioxidative functions induced by radon inhalation relieves the symptoms brought by reactive oxygen species.