A complete review of preclinical and clinical uses of the noble gas argon: Evidence of safety and protection

Abstract

The noble gas argon (Ar) is a “biologically” active element and has been extensively studied preclinically for its organ protection properties. This work reviews all preclinical studies employing Ar and describes the clinical uses reported in literature, analyzing 55 pertinent articles found by means of a search on PubMed and Embase. Ventilation with Ar has been tested in different models of acute disease at concentrations ranging from 20% to 80% and for durations between a few minutes up to days. Overall, lesser cell death, smaller infarct size, and better functional recovery after ischemia have been repeatedly observed. Modulation of the molecular pathways involved in cell survival, with resulting anti-apoptotic and pro-survival effects, appeared as the determinant mechanism by which Ar fulfills its protective role. These beneficial effects have been reported regardless of onset and duration of Ar exposure, especially after cardiac arrest. In addition, ventilation with Ar was safe both in animals and humans. Thus, preclinical and clinical data support future clinical studies on the role of inhalatory Ar as an organ protector.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy After Cardiac Arrest

“…38 Interventions in addition to TTM to preserve structural and metabolic integrity after resuscitation to optimize neurologic recovery, even in patients who appear to have excellent in-hospital outcomes, should be explored in future studies. Recent preclinical and clinical studies have suggested promising effects of noble gases 39 and citicoline 40 as neuroprotective agents.…”

Argon cold atmospheric plasma eradicates pathogens in vitro that are commonly associated with canine bacterial keratitis

“…The device in our study operates with argon gas which has several advantages. These include a good tissue tolerance ( 61 ), its natural occurrence in the atmosphere ( 62 ) and simple extraction by air liquefaction ( 63 ). Another advantage of argon in research is its ‘inert state’ which enabled us its use in our control experiments which verified that argon gas does not have an antibacterial effect itself.…”

Treatment with inhaled Argon: a systematic review of pre-clinical and clinical studies with meta-analysis on neuroprotective effect

“…Several reviews have summarised noble gases neuroprotective effects in animal models, with two of them specifically focusing on Ar properties. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 A systematic review with meta-analysis published in 2016 investigated the effect of noble gases in ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI) in pre-clinical models and included seven studies testing Ar treatment. 8 A more recent systematic review with meta-analysis supported the neuroprotective effect of Ar and Xenon on acquired brain injuries in pre-clinical models of three clinical conditions, i.e., cardiac arrest (CA), ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI).…”