THERAPY
Toxicity versus therapeutic benefit
The Ozone-Oxygen-Therapy: The low-dose ozone concept
As ozone is toxic to the lung epithelium, international and national maximum emissions- and immission values are fixed and medical ozone must never be applied via the respiratory tract. Precise forms of application had been developed over decades and standardized. The
special techniques, dosages and concentrations are summarized in the guidelines for ozone therapy.
The effects of Medical Ozone as hormetic substance can be assigned to those defined by hormesis (Rattan et al. 2009): In living organisms, single or repetitive administration of otherwise potentially dangerous or toxic substances in small doses increases their homeodynamics (homeodynamic space), i.e. their self-regulatory capacity. Or, alternatively:
Dose-efficacy diagram
Moderate oxidative stress stimulates the protective mechanisms of cells and organs and is biologically useful, see the dose-efficacy diagram and table.
Comparative table
| Toxicity of ozone by inhalation on the respiratory system and the extrapulmonary organs | Therapeutic benefit by special applications |
| Long term exposure (8h) at concentrations up to 1ppm in animals ➜ Oxidative dysstress ➜ ROS, LOPs, cytokine ➜ increasing infiltration of neutrophiles, activated macrophages ➜ chronic inflammation ➜ O2-, OH-radicales... Downregulation of antioxidants | Single dose, low concentration ➜ positive oxidative stress ➜ ➜ ➜ Bioregulation of antioxidants |