Effect of Dead-Sea brine and its main salts on cell growth in culture.
Diluted Dead-Sea brine and solutions of certain of its salts (chlorides and bromides of Na, K and Mg) were found to reversibly inhibit cell proliferation in culture. Bromides were more powerful as inhibitors than their chloride counterparts, and K salts were more effective than those of Na and Mg. KBr had the strongest inhibitory effect, which equalled that of diluted Dead-Sea brine at the same concentration. The favourable results of the Dead-Sea Spa treatment of psoriasis may thus be partly due to the penetration of minerals into the body, via the skin, with subsequent reinforcement of anti-proliferative mechanisms.
Shani
J
J
Department of Pharmacology, Hebrew University School of Pharmacy, Jerusalem, Israel.
Sharon
R
R
Koren
R
R
Even-Paz
Z
Z
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D008647:Mesocricetus; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012623:Seawater; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism
D013936:Thymidine