Hydrogen Water Protects Gut from Anti-Inflammatory Drug Damage
- Authors
- Yoshihiro Akita, Masaaki Higashiyama, Chie Kurihara, Suguru Ito, Shin Nishii, Akinori Mizoguchi, Kenichi Inaba, Rina Tanemoto, Nao Sugihara, Yoshinori Hanawa, Akinori Wada, Kazuki Horiuchi, Yoshikiyo Okada, Kazuyuki Narimatsu, Shunsuke Komoto, Kengo Tomita, Fumie Takei, Yasushi Satoh, Masayuki Saruta, Ryota Hokari
- Journal
- Digestive Diseases and Sciences
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10620-022-07781-5
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- NSAID-Induced Enteropathy
- Body System
- Digestive System
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water helped reduce gut damage and inflammation caused by anti-inflammatory drugs in mice, possibly through its antioxidant properties and by increasing beneficial gut compounds.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water protected mouse intestines from NSAID damage through two mechanisms: directly reducing harmful reactive oxygen species and indirectly reducing inflammation by increasing short-chain fatty acids produced by gut bacteria.
Summary
This mouse study tested whether hydrogen-rich water could protect against intestinal damage caused by NSAIDs (common pain relievers like ibuprofen). Researchers found that hydrogen-rich water reduced harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species in the intestines, decreased inflammation, and increased beneficial short-chain fatty acids produced by gut bacteria—all of which helped prevent NSAID-related intestinal injury.
Practical Takeaway
While this early mouse study suggests hydrogen water may help protect against NSAID-related intestinal damage, human studies are needed before drawing conclusions about its use. The findings are promising but limited to laboratory animals, so effectiveness and safety in people remain unknown.
Abstract
Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced enteropathy, the mechanism of which is involved in oxidative stress, can be lethal due to hemorrhage. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of hydrogen-rich water (HRW), in terms of oxidative stress, on intestinal mucosal damage as well as changes in the gut microbiome and the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) content in feces. Methods: Hydrogen-rich water was orally administered for 5 days to investigate the effectiveness of indomethacin-induced enteropathy in mice. Small intestinal damage and luminal reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated to investigate the ameliorating effects of hydrogen. Then, components of the gut microbiome were analyzed; fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was performed using the cecal contents obtained from mice drinking HRW. The cecal contents were analyzed for the SCFAs content. Finally, cells from the macrophage cell line RAW264 were co-cultured with the supernatants of cecal contents. Results: Hydrogen-rich water significantly ameliorated IND-induced enteropathy histologically and reduced the expression of IND-induced inflammatory cytokines. Microscopic evaluation revealed that luminal ROS was significantly reduced and that HRW did not change the gut microbiota; however, FMT from HRW-treated animals ameliorated IND-induced enteropathy. The SCFA content in the cecal contents of HRW-treated animals was significantly higher than that in control animals. The supernatant had significantly increased interleukin-10 expression in RAW264 cells in vitro. Conclusion: Hydrogen-rich water ameliorated NSAID-induced enteropathy, not only via direct antioxidant effects but also via anti-inflammatory effects by increasing luminal SCFAs. These results suggest that hydrogen may have therapeutic potential in small intestinal inflammatory diseases. Keywords: Antioxidants; Hydrogen; IL-10; NSAIDs-induced enteropathy; Short-chain fatty acids.