2005 Volume 21 Issue 1 Pages 21-32
To clarify the effects of spa therapy on biodefense, we evaluated the induction of Hsp70 and Hsp70mRNA and hematological and immunological changes in 10 healthy males and females after bathing in an alkaline simple spring (40°C). Compared with the control value before bathing, the amount of Hsp70 expression in the group that bathed once (10 minutes) increased 1.2-fold and 1.6-fold after 48 and 96 hours, respectively. The amount of Hsp70mRNA expression in the group who bathed once increased 1.4-fold after 96 hours, and that in the group that bathed twice increased 1.7-fold after 48 hours and 1.82-fold after 96 hours. Blood examinations in the group that bathed once showed an increase in lymphocytes after 48 hours (p<0.05) and decreases in peroxylipid, total ketone body, acetoacetic acid, and 3-hydroxylactic acid after 96 hours (p<0.05) In this group, NK activity decreased after 48 hours but recovered to the pre-bathing level after 96 hours. The group that bathed twice showed an increase in white blood cells after 48 hours (p<0.05) and an increase in catalase and decreases in peroxylipid and acetoacetic acid after 96 hours (p<0.05). This group also showed a decrease in NK activity after 48 hours and a further decrease after 96 hours (p<0.05).
These results suggest the involvement of Hsp70 in the disorder- preventive effects of spa therapy as well as in the anti-oxidative defense mechanism.
