Hydrogen Gas Reduces Brain Damage After Head Injury in Rats
- Authors
- Xu-Dong Ma, Jin-Ning Song, Bin-Fei Zhang, Yong-Lin Zhao, Peng Sun, Dan-Dong Li, Ya-Hui Zhao, Zun-Wei Liu
- Journal
- Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University - Medical Sciences
- Year
- 2014
- DOI
- 10.7652/jdyxb201406007
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Diffuse Axonal Injury
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Hydrogen gas treatment reduces brain damage in rats with traumatic brain injuries by fighting oxidative stress.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas treatment significantly reduced brain damage and improved neurological function in rats with diffuse axonal injury by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity and reducing free radical damage.
Summary
Researchers gave rats a type of brain injury by spinning their heads rapidly, then treated some rats with hydrogen gas injected into their abdomen twice daily. They found that the hydrogen treatment reduced markers of cell damage and improved neurological function compared to untreated injured rats. The improvement appeared to work by boosting the brain's natural antioxidant defenses (enzymes that protect cells from damage) and reducing harmful free radicals (unstable molecules that damage cells).
Practical Takeaway
This rat study suggests hydrogen gas may help protect the brain after traumatic injury by reducing oxidative stress, but these results cannot yet be applied to humans. Much more research, including human trials, would be needed before hydrogen could be considered a treatment for brain injury. The study's relevance to hydrogen water consumption (rather than direct gas injection) is unclear.
Abstract
To investigate the role of oxidative stress in diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and the therapeutic action of hydrogen in DAI models. Methods Totally 118 adult male SD rats were divided into 3 groups with 39 in each: sham, DAI, and DAI + hydrogen treatment. Rat diffuse axonal injury was induced by an experimental facility, which was developed to make the rat head spin 90 degrees at the moment to cause shearing injury. Hydrogen gas of high purity was injected intraperitoneally into rats of DAI model twice per day (10mL/kg). The modified neurological severity score (mNSS), histomorphology, propidium iodide (PI) staining, SOD activity, CAT activity and MDA content in the brain were assayed at 6h, 1d, 3d and 7d after DAI. Results MDA content, PI positive cells, swelling never cells, degenerated cells, glial cells and neurological severity scores were significantly increased, while SOD and CAT activities were decreased in the brain tissues of DAI rats (P<0.01). Hydrogen treatment could reverse these changes mentioned above. Conclusion Oxidative stress is involved in DAI pathophysiological process in acute phase. The decline of antioxidant enzyme activities and production of large numbers of free radicals may lead to the deterioration of brain damage. Hydrogen gas can improve acute brain injury in DAI by improving antioxidant enzyme activities and reducing free radical damage. Reducing the level of oxidative stress is of great significance in the treatment of DAI.