Hydrogen Water Protects Against Deadly Transplant Complication in Mice
- Authors
- Li-Ren Qian, Ke Mei, Jianliang Shen, Jianming Cai
- Journal
- Transplantation
- Year
- 2013
- DOI
- 10.1097/TP.0b013e31827e6b23
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline may increase survival and improve health in mice after bone marrow transplants that would otherwise cause a deadly immune reaction.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline increased survival rates and improved clinical symptoms in mice with acute graft-versus-host disease following bone marrow transplantation.
Summary
This study tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (salt water containing dissolved hydrogen gas) could help mice survive acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), a serious complication that occurs after bone marrow transplants when the new immune cells attack the recipient's body. Researchers gave hydrogen-rich saline to mice with aGVHD and found that treated mice had better survival rates, faster recovery of white blood cells, and fewer disease symptoms compared to untreated mice.
Practical Takeaway
While this mouse study suggests hydrogen-rich saline may help protect against graft-versus-host disease complications, it is preliminary research in animals only and has not been tested in humans. Anyone undergoing bone marrow or stem cell transplantation should discuss any potential treatments, including hydrogen water, with their transplant team before use.
Abstract
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a potentially curative therapy for many malignant and nonmalignant hematologic diseases. However, acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a lethal complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which limits its application. Cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 play an extremely important role in the formation and development of aGVHD. Reactive oxygen species, such as hydroxyl radicals, also play an important role in the formation and development of aGVHD. In recent years, hydrogen was reported to have an ability to inhibit the levels of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6 in vivo, and it also has a strong selective free radical-scavenging ability. Therefore, we hypothesized that hydrogen may have therapeutic effects on aGVHD. To determine whether hydrogen could protect mice from lethal GVHD in a major histocompatibility complex-incompatible murine bone marrow transplantation (BMT) model, survival rates of mice were calculated and leukocyte counts were also determined after BMT. We also examined serum cytokine levels and scored clinical signs of GVHD mice after BMT. This article demonstrated that the administration of hydrogen-rich saline increased the survival rate and clinical score of aGVHD mice. Administration of hydrogen-rich saline after transplantation also promoted the recovery of white blood cells of aGVHD mice. However, there was no report on the therapeutic effects of hydrogen on aGVHD. It is suggested that hydrogen has a potential as an effective and safe therapeutic agent on aGVHD.