Breathing Hydrogen Gas Prevents Blood Vessel Damage in Mice
- Authors
- Takeshi Kiyoi, Shuang Liu, Erika Takemasa, Hirotomo Nakaoka, Naohito Hato, Masaki Mogi
- Journal
- PLoS One
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0227582
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Atherosclerosis
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Breathing in hydrogen gas can help reduce blood vessel damage and slow down related diseases by lowering oxidative stress in mice.
Key Finding
Mice that continuously inhaled hydrogen gas at safe environmental levels showed significantly reduced blood vessel thickening and damage after injury, with protection linked to decreased production of harmful reactive oxygen species like hydroxyl radicals.
Summary
Researchers studied whether breathing hydrogen gas could prevent blood vessel damage in mice. They exposed mice to a mixture containing 1.3% hydrogen gas for 2 weeks, then injured blood vessels in their legs to simulate disease. Mice breathing hydrogen gas showed significantly less vessel thickening and damage compared to control mice, and this protection appeared to work by reducing harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species (unstable molecules that damage cells).
Practical Takeaway
This early-stage animal study suggests hydrogen gas inhalation may help protect blood vessels from damage, but results are from mice only and cannot be directly applied to humans. Much more research, including human studies, would be needed before hydrogen gas inhalation could be recommended as a preventive strategy for vascular disease.
Abstract (excerpt)
Molecular hydrogen is thought to have an inhibitory effect on oxidative stress, thereby attenuating the onset and progression of various diseases including cardiovascular disease; however, few reports have assessed the preventive effect of constitutive inhalation of hydrogen gas on of vascular…