Hydrogen Therapy vs Stem Cells for Liver Surgery Recovery in Pigs
Comparative study on protective effect of hydrogen rich saline and adipose-derived stem cells on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion and hepatectomy injury in swine
Research hubs: Digestive System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (pig)
- Authors
- Qianzhen Zhang, Chenxi Piao, Jiayuan Xu, Zhihui Jiao, Yansong Ge, Xiaoning Liu, Yajun Ma, Hong-Bin Wang
- Journal
- Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
- Year
- 2019
- PMID
- 31561069
- Study Type
- Pig
- Participants
- 18
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Dose
- Portal vein injection 10 min before reperfusion, 1 d, 2 d, and 3 d after surgery
- Duration
- 1 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 20 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Injecting stem cells directly into the liver is more effective at helping it recover from injury and surgery than injecting a protective substance into the bloodstream.
Key Finding
Both hydrogen-rich saline and adipose-derived stem cells reduced liver damage and promoted recovery after surgery in pigs, but stem cell injection into liver tissue was more effective than hydrogen-rich saline injection into a vein.
Summary
This study compared two treatments for protecting the liver after surgery in pigs: hydrogen-rich saline (salt water containing dissolved hydrogen) injected into a vein, and stem cells (immature cells that can develop into specialized cells) injected directly into liver tissue. Both treatments reduced liver damage and helped the liver recover better than no treatment, but the stem cell injection worked better than the hydrogen-rich saline at promoting liver function recovery.
Practical Takeaway
This is an animal study in pigs, so results cannot be directly applied to humans. While the findings suggest hydrogen-rich saline may have protective effects on liver tissue, much more research—including human studies—would be needed to determine if this applies to people. The study does not provide evidence that hydrogen water would have similar effects.
Abstract (excerpt)
Aim: To compare and evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of liver parenchyma injection of ADSCs and portal vein injection of HRS in laparoscopic hepatic ischemia reperfusion combined with hepatectomy injury in miniature pigs. Methods: Eighteen miniature pigs were randomly assigned to IRI group, HRS…