{
  "id": 266990,
  "title": "Household hums below hearing range damage mouse kidneys in five-day experiment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/household-hums-below-hearing-range-damage-mouse-kidneys-in-five-day",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-07T14:20:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-household-range-mouse-kidneys-day.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent five-day study conducted by researchers at Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine has revealed that low-frequency noise, typically below the range of human hearing, can cause damage to mouse kidneys. This finding contradicts previous research that suggested environmental noise, regardless of frequency, may negatively impact kidney health.\n\nThe team led by Takumi Kagawa and Masashi Kato recorded noise from two household appliances: an air conditioner and a heat pump water heater. They then separated each recording into low-frequency (≤100 Hz) and high-frequency components using audio software. Mice were exposed to these noise types for 12 hours a day, at night, when they are most active.\n\nThe results showed that exposure to the low-frequency noise led to elevated levels of creatinine and urea nitrogen in the mice's blood, indicating kidney damage. However, high-frequency noise did not cause any adverse effects. The researchers further investigated the mechanism behind this damage and found that low-frequency noise caused swelling in the kidneys' glomeruli, thickening of their filtering membranes, and increased production of endothelin-1, a molecule that constricts blood vessels.\n\nTo confirm this hypothesis, the researchers administered ambrisentan, a drug used to treat hypertension, to a second group of mice. Treatment with ambrisentan reduced renal damage and kidney markers in the treated mice, implying that endothelin-1 signaling plays a crucial role in low-frequency noise-induced kidney injury.\n\nWhile the study's findings are significant, it is essential to note that mice and humans differ in their ability to perceive low-frequency sounds. Therefore, the relevance of these results to human health remains uncertain. Nevertheless, the study emphasizes the need to consider low-frequency noise in future research on environmental noise exposure and its potential impact on human health.",
  "summary": "A recent experiment conducted by researchers from Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine has found that the low-frequency component of environmental noise can negatively impact kidney health in mice, even when the noise is below the threshold of human hearing. Previous studies suggested that exposure to environmental noise, particularly low-frequency sounds from household appliances like air conditioners and heat pump water heaters, could be linked to worse kidney function in humans. However, these studies lacked direct evidence of the specific noise frequencies responsible for the adverse effects. In this study, the researchers recorded and manipulated the noise from these appliances, isolating the low-frequency and high-frequency components. They then exposed mice to these noise variations for five days, observing the impact on two key markers of kidney health: creatinine and urea nitrogen levels. The findings revealed that only the low-frequency noise component, which is inaudible to mice, led to increased levels of these markers, indicating kidney damage. This suggests that the frequency of noise plays a more significant role than its loudness in affecting kidney health. Further investigation into the mechanism behind this effect revealed that the low-frequency noise caused swelling and thickening of the glomeruli, the filtering units within the kidneys, and elevated levels of endothelin-1, a molecule that constricts blood vessels. By administering a drug that blocks endothelin signaling, the researchers were able to mitigate the kidney damage caused by the low-frequency noise, confirming its role as a key pathway. This study provides the first direct experimental evidence linking low-frequency environmental noise to adverse kidney health effects in mice, potentially shedding light on the impact of noise pollution on human kidney function.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}