On the Mechanism of the Antiseptic Therapeutic Action of Silver Ions

Abstract

The concepts of the mechanisms of the antiseptic action of silver preparations, which are widely known in the world scientific community, can be boiled down to the suppression and destruction of harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi. For example, this is the death of pathogens (bacteria, fungi) due to oxidative stress, which is caused by the increased generation of reactive oxygen species when silver ions affect the cell respiration pathway. However, this mechanism could equally lead to the death of beneficial bacteria and healthy cells in the body, which contradicts the centuries-old history of using silver compounds for medical purposes. The review puts forward the idea of a fundamentally different mechanism of the therapeutic antiseptic action of silver ions: the induction of stress, which, in turn, has a stimulating effect on the body, activating its own resources (similar to transformational psychological running, cold exposure, and sauna use). The occurrence of stress during exposure to silver ions is explained by the fact that silver is not an essential (vital) element for mammals, is not constantly present in the body, and thus the body is forced to adapt to it as to the novel perturbance during such exposure. In order to ensure a therapeutic effect, it is necessary that the duration and intensity of the stressful impact not be too great to avoid chronic stress and distress, which, as is known, lead to suppression of the body’s vital resources.