Hydrogen Therapy During Pregnancy Protects Baby Brain Development
- Authors
- Kenji Imai, Tomomi Kotani, Hiroyuki Tsuda, Tomoko Nakano, Takafumi Ushida, Akira Iwase, Taku Nagai, Shinya Toyokuni, Akio Suzumura, Fumitaka Kikkawa
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Year
- 2018
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41598-018-27626-4
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Giving molecular hydrogen (H2) to pregnant mice reduced brain damage and improved memory and social behaviors in their babies, who were otherwise affected by an immune-triggering substance.
Key Finding
In mice, maternal hydrogen water administration prevented behavioral abnormalities and brain cell loss in offspring exposed to maternal immune activation during pregnancy.
Summary
This mouse study tested whether giving pregnant mothers molecular hydrogen (hydrogen gas dissolved in water) could protect their offspring's brain development when the mothers experienced an immune system activation (triggered by a bacterial component). Researchers found that offspring of untreated mothers showed memory problems and difficulty with social interaction, along with brain cell loss. However, offspring of mothers who received hydrogen water showed significant improvement in these behavioral problems and had better-preserved brain cells.
Practical Takeaway
This is an animal study in mice, so results cannot be directly applied to humans. While the findings suggest hydrogen water may have neuroprotective properties during pregnancy, human studies would be needed to determine if similar benefits occur in people. Anyone considering hydrogen water during pregnancy should consult their healthcare provider, as safety in human pregnancy has not been established.
Abstract
AbstractThe aim of the present study was to investigate long-term outcomes of the offspring in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced maternal immune activation (MIA) model and the effect of maternal molecular hydrogen (H2) administration. We have previously demonstrated in the MIA mouse model that maternal administration of H2attenuates oxidative damage and neuroinflammation, including induced pro-inflammatory cytokines and microglial activation, in the fetal brain. Short-term memory, sociability and social novelty, and sensorimotor gating were evaluated using the Y-maze, three-chamber, and prepulse inhibition (PPI) tests, respectively, at postnatal 3 or 4 weeks. The number of neurons and oligodendrocytes was also analyzed at postnatal 5 weeks by immunohistochemical analysis. Offspring of the LPS-exposed dams showed deficits in short-term memory and social interaction, following neuronal and oligodendrocytic loss in the amygdala and cortex. Maternal H2administration markedly attenuated these LPS-induced abnormalities. Moreover, we evaluated the effect of H2on LPS-induced astrocytic activation, bothin vivoandin vitro. The number of activated astrocytes with hypertrophic morphology was increased in LPS-exposed offspring, but decreased in the offspring of H2-administered dams. In primary cultured astrocytes, LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines were attenuated by H2administration. Overall, these findings indicate that maternal H2administration exerts neuroprotective effects and ameliorates MIA-induced neurodevelopmental deficits of offspring later in life.