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Effect of negative air ions upon emotionality and brain serotonin levels in isolated rats

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Abstract

The effect of small negative air ions on the emotional behavior and brain serotonin content of isolated rats was studied. The results indicate that isolated subjects were more reactive to handling and had larger levels of serotonin than did isolated subjects undergoing continuous ion treatment. Group housed subjects were less reactive to handling than were either isolated subjects or isolated subjects intermittently exposed to ions. Thus ions were effective in reducing both emotionality and serotonin. Only continuous ion treatment was effective.

Zusammenfassung

Die Wirkung kleiner negativer Luftionen auf das Verhalten und den Serotoningehalt des Gehirns wurde an isolierten Ratten untersucht. Isolierte Tiere reagierten im Verhalten auf Ergreifen mit der Hand stärker und der Serotoningehalt war höher als bei gleich isolierten Tieren, die zusätzlich intermittierend Luftionen ausgesetzt waren. Durch Luftionen konnte danach die Emotionalität und der Serotoninspiegel herabgesetzt werden.

Resume

On étudie ici les répercussions de petits ions négatifs de l'air sur le comportement et le taux de sérotonine du cerveau de rats isolés. Les bêtes isolées réagissent plus violemment lorsqu'on les saisit à la main et leur taux de sérotonine est plus élevé que chez des bêtes, isolées également, mais auxquelles on a donné à respirer par intermittence des ions négatifs. Par conséquent, l'adjonction d'ions à l'air respiré a permis d'abaisser aussi bien l'impressionnabilité que le taux de sérotonine.

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Gilbert, G.O. Effect of negative air ions upon emotionality and brain serotonin levels in isolated rats. Int J Biometeorol 17, 267–275 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01804620

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