Hydrogen Therapy Protects Spinal Cord from Injury in Animal Study
Beneficial effects of hydrogen-rich saline against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rabbits
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rabbit)
- Authors
- Leshun Zhou, Xiaowu Wang, Weining Xue, Keliang Xie, Yi Huang, Hongguang Chen, Gu Gong, Yi Zeng
- Journal
- Brain Research
- Year
- 2013
- PMID
- 23603405
- Study Type
- Rabbit
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Dose
- 5 mL/kg or 10 mL/kg hydrogen-rich saline intravenously administered 5 minutes before or after reperfusion
- Duration
- 3 days
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 45 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Injecting a hydrogen-rich saline solution can significantly reduce spinal cord damage caused by temporary blood supply interruption in rabbits, likely by protecting cells from stress and inflammation.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline protected rabbit spinal cords from damage caused by temporary loss of blood flow, preserving motor neuron function and preventing hind-limb paralysis when given before or after blood flow was restored.
Summary
Researchers gave rabbits hydrogen-rich saline (a salt solution containing dissolved hydrogen gas) after inducing a temporary loss of blood flow to the spinal cord, then restoring it. This treatment reduced nerve damage, preserved the ability to move the hind legs, and decreased harmful molecules (oxidative stress) and inflammatory responses in the spinal cord compared to untreated rabbits.
Practical Takeaway
This is early animal research showing hydrogen-rich saline may help protect nerve tissue from ischemia-reperfusion injury (damage that occurs when blood flow is cut off then restored). However, this was a rabbit study, not human research, so it's unclear whether these results would apply to people. Much more research is needed before any clinical use could be considered.
Abstract (excerpt)
Hydrogen-rich saline (HS) is reported to be a new therapeutic agent in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced organ damage. The present study was designed to investigate the beneficial effects of HS against spinal cord I/R injury and its associated mechanisms. Spinal cord ischemia was induced…