Effect of Hita Tenryo Water™, a natural mineral water, on allergic symptoms induced by cedar in mice

The number of patients with allergies to pollen and food is increasing worldwide. In Japan, the prevalence of cedar pollinosis, a type I allergy, is nearly 30% and accounts of hay fever are rising. A potential natural remedy for these allergic diseases may be Hita Tenryo Water™ (referred to simply as Hita Tenryo water), water that is pumped from deep underground in the Hita region of Oita, Japan, which has been the subject of various research reports. Here, we investigated the potential of using Hita Tenryo water to suppress the onset of cedar pollinosis in a mouse model and explored the immunological mechanism of the suppression. Test model mice were given Hita Tenryo water ad libitum to drink and received intraperitoneal administration of (i) tap water (Hw1), (ii) 25% Hita Tenryo water (Hw2) or (iii) 100% Hita Tenryo (Hw3). There were no significant differences in body weight change, feed intake, or water intake among the groups during the experimental period. We examined nose rubbing and sneezing as allergic symptoms. The frequency of rubbing and sneezing tended to decrease in the Hw1 and Hw2 group, and significantly decreased in the Hw3 group compared to control. Total IgE levels in serum were also significantly reduced in Hita Tenryo water intraperitoneal administration groups. In vitro examination of the rate of release of β-hexosaminidase from BL-2H3 cells showed that there were no significantly differences between Hita Tenryo water-treated and control cells. In addition, measurement of Th2-related cytokine levels in concanavalin A-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells revealed a significant decrease in IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 levels in medium (p < 0.01). In contrast, production of IFN-γ significantly increased (p < 0.01). These results indicate that Hita Tenryo water may alleviate and/or suppress allergic symptoms

Removal efficiency of radioactive cesium and iodine ions by a flow-type apparatus designed for electrochemically reduced water production.

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident on March 11, 2011 attracted people's attention, with anxiety over possible radiation hazards. Immediate and long-term concerns are around protection from external and internal exposure by the liberated radionuclides. In particular, residents living in the affected regions are most concerned about ingesting contaminated foodstuffs, including drinking water. Efficient removal of radionuclides from rainwater and drinking water has been reported using several pot-type filtration devices. A currently used flow-type test apparatus is expected to simultaneously provide radionuclide elimination prior to ingestion and protection from internal exposure by accidental ingestion of radionuclides through the use of a micro-carbon carboxymethyl cartridge unit and an electrochemically reduced water production unit, respectively. However, the removability of radionuclides from contaminated tap water has not been tested to date. Thus, the current research was undertaken to assess the capability of the apparatus to remove radionuclides from artificially contaminated tap water. The results presented here demonstrate that the apparatus can reduce radioactivity levels to below the detection limit in applied tap water containing either 300 Bq/kg of 137Cs or 150 Bq/kg of 125I. The apparatus had a removal efficiency of over 90% for all concentration ranges of radio-cesium and -iodine tested. The results showing efficient radionuclide removability, together with previous studies on molecular hydrogen and platinum nanoparticles as reactive oxygen species scavengers, strongly suggest that the test apparatus has the potential to offer maximum safety against radionuclide-contaminated foodstuffs, including drinking water

Measurement of ¹³⁷Cs in sample waters.

<p>¹³⁷CsCl solutions at concentrations of 0, 0.03, 0.3, 3.0 and 15.0 KBq/kg were passed through the test apparatus. Collected filtered waters were used to measure ¹³⁷Cs counts by an AccuFLEX γ ARC-7001 gamma counter (A and B). White bar: ¹³⁷CsCl solutions before filtration, gray bar: ¹³⁷CsCl solutions after filtration. Radioactivities before and after filtration were evaluated by linear-regression analysis (C). •: ¹³⁷CsCl solutions before filtration, ○: ¹³⁷CsCl solutions after filtration. Experiments were carried out in triplicate.</p

Effects of electrolysis on filtered radioactive sample waters.

<p>¹³⁷CsCl solutions of 30 and 300 Bq/kg were passed through the test apparatus and filtered waters were collected for measurement. Then, filtered water was passed through the electrolysis unit at the highest electrolysis level of 4 and ERW was collected for measurement. Collected waters were used to measure ¹³⁷Cs counts by an AccuFLEX γ ARC-7001 gamma counter (A and B). Using the same protocol, filtered water and ERW were collected for 150 Bq/kg of Na¹²⁵I solution. White bar: ¹³⁷CsCl or Na¹²⁵I solutions, gray bar: Filtered ¹³⁷CsCl or Na¹²⁵I solutions; black bar: ERWs of filtered ¹³⁷CsCl or Na¹²⁵I solutions. Experiments were carried out in triplicate.</p

Schematic of the flow-type electrolysis apparatus.

<p>The test apparatus is composed of two units, a micro-carbon CM cartridge (B) and an electrolysis unit (C). The overall water flow and equipment set up is shown in (A). Sample water is connected to an adjustable speed pump to maintain a flow rate of 1.8–2.0 l/min and expelled to the inlet of the electrolysis unit (A). Tap water passes through the nonwoven-fabric filter, the mixed layers of activated charcoal powders and cationic ion-exchange material to make filtered water (B). Filtered water then flows into the electrolysis unit composed of platinum-coated 5 electrode plates separated by semi-permeable membranes (C). Filtered water will be electrolyzed at levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 at a maximum of 50 volts while passing through the gaps between the electrodes.</p

Removal efficiencies (%) for I and ¹²⁵I ions.

<p>Removal efficiency (%) = (1−[A]/[B])×100 according to <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0102218#pone.0102218-Sato1" target="_blank">[38]</a>. [A], [B]: concentrations of I and ¹²⁵I solutions after and before filtration. Each solution was filtered only, without electrolysis. *: [A] values used to calculate removal efficiency were below the detection limit. ^#: equivalent ppb values calculated from the radioactivities loaded. Values within parentheses were prepared and loaded amounts or radioactivities of iodine.</p