Hydrogen Water Shows Promise for Treating Allergic Rhinitis in Animals
- Authors
- Feifei Xu, S.Q. Yu, C.L. Zhao, N. Che, L. Jin, Q.L. Wang, Rongming Ge
- Journal
- Chinese Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
- Year
- 2017
- DOI
- 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1673-0860.2017.07.006
- Study Type
- Guinea Pig
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Allergic Rhinitis
- Body System
- Respiratory
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline reduces allergy symptoms and inflammation in guinea pigs with allergic rhinitis by increasing beneficial immune cells and their anti-inflammatory signals.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline reduced allergic rhinitis symptoms in guinea pigs and increased the number of regulatory immune cells that suppress inflammation, suggesting it may work by calming the immune system's allergic response.
Summary
This study tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (salt water containing dissolved hydrogen) could reduce allergic rhinitis symptoms in guinea pigs. Researchers gave some allergic guinea pigs hydrogen-rich saline injections while others received regular saline. The hydrogen-rich saline group showed fewer sneezing and nasal symptoms, lower levels of immune cells associated with allergies (eosinophils), and increased levels of immune cells that calm down allergic responses (regulatory T cells and anti-inflammatory proteins).
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study showing hydrogen-rich saline may help with allergic rhinitis by boosting immune cells that reduce inflammation. However, results in guinea pigs do not automatically translate to humans, and much more research—including human trials—would be needed before drawing conclusions about its effectiveness for people with allergies. The study also did not report how long the effects lasted or the optimal treatment duration.
Abstract
Objective: To explore the effect of hydrogen-rich saline on the CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg cells in a guinea pig model of allergic rhinitis (AR) and investigate the underling anti-inflammatory mechanism. Methods: Using random number table, eighteen guinea pigs were divided into three groups (control group/AR group/HRS group, n=6 of each group). AR guinea pig model was built with ovalbumin and aluminum. The guinea pigs were injected with hydrogen-rich saline (HRS group) for ten days after sensitation. And control group was injected with equal normal saline at the same time. Number of sneezes, degree of runny nose and nasal rubbing movements were scored. Peripheral blood eosinophil count was recorded. The content of interleukin 10(IL-10) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) in the serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Immunohistochemical method was taken to detect IL-10 and TGF-β in nasal mucosa. The proportion of CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) T cells in the CD4(+) T cells of spleen and peripheral blood were determined with flow cytometry. SPSS 17.0 software was used to analyze the data. Results: There was significant difference in symptom scores among them. The scores of AR group preceded control group, and HRS could decrease the scores of AR ((6.29±1.79) vs (1.01±0.71), (4.50±0.84) vs (6.29±1.79), F=24.725, all P0.05). Conclusion: Both the number and the cytokine secretion of CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg cells are decreased in AR group, HRS may inhibit inflammatory response and ameliorate AR via improving the number and the cytokine secretion.