Hydrogen Gas Reduces Liver Injury in Transplant Surgery in Rats
Combination of Cold Storage in a Heavy Water-Containing Solution and Post-Reperfusion Hydrogen Gas Treatment Reduces Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rat Livers
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Moto Fukai, Sodai Sakamoto, Kengo Shibata, Masato Fujiyoshi, Sunao Fujiyoshi, Hiroki Bochimoto, Takahisa Ishikawa, Shingo Shimada, Kosei Nakamura, Norio Kawamura, Tsuyoshi Shimamura, Akinobu Taketomi
- Journal
- Transplantation Proceedings
- Year
- 2023
- PMID
- 37147193
- Study Type
- Rat
- Delivery
- Solution (Dissolved)
- Dose
- post-reperfusion hydrogen gas treatment
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 2 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Using a special heavy water solution for cold storage and treating with hydrogen gas after reperfusion can together better protect rat livers from damage during transplantation.
Key Finding
Combining heavy water-containing solution during storage with hydrogen gas treatment after reperfusion provided additive protective effects against liver injury in rat livers, outperforming conventional preservation methods alone.
Summary
Researchers tested whether combining two preservation techniques could better protect rat livers during transplantation. They stored livers in a special solution containing heavy water for 48 hours, then treated them with hydrogen gas after blood flow was restored. The combination approach reduced liver damage markers and improved liver function better than either treatment alone or standard preservation methods.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study on organ preservation for transplantation, not on hydrogen water for human consumption. While the results suggest hydrogen gas may help protect organs during transplant procedures, this finding does not translate directly to health benefits from drinking hydrogen water. Much more research, including human studies, would be needed before any clinical applications could be considered.
Abstract (excerpt)
We previously reported the efficacy of cold storage (CS) using a heavy water-containing solution (Dsol) and post-reperfusion hydrogen gas treatment separately. This study aimed to clarify the combined effects of these treatments. Rat livers were subjected to 48-hour CS and a subsequent 90-minute…