Hydrogen Water Protects Against Severe Abdominal Infection in Rats
- Authors
- Jing-Yao Zhang, Qifei Wu, Sidong Song, Yong Wan, Ruiyao Zhang, Minghui Tai, Chang Liu
- Journal
- International Immunopharmacology
- Year
- 2014
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.intimp.2014.04.011
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Peritonitis
- Body System
- Digestive
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water can help reduce the severity of acute peritonitis in rats.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water significantly reduced inflammatory markers, enhanced antioxidant defenses, and decreased NF-κB expression (a key inflammation regulator) in rat models of acute peritonitis across three different infection methods.
Summary
Researchers tested hydrogen-rich water on rats with acute peritonitis (a serious abdominal infection) using three different methods to induce the condition. Rats that received hydrogen-rich water for 10 days (7 days before and 3 days after infection) showed reduced infection severity compared to rats given regular saline, with lower levels of inflammatory markers (immune signaling molecules) and better antioxidant activity (the body's ability to neutralize harmful molecules) in abdominal tissues.
Practical Takeaway
This is an animal-only study in rats, so results cannot be directly applied to humans. While the findings suggest hydrogen-rich water may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that could theoretically benefit peritonitis, clinical trials in humans would be needed to determine if these effects translate to actual therapeutic benefit. This early evidence does not support using hydrogen water as a treatment for peritonitis or other infections without medical supervision.
Abstract
Objective: To study the effect of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on acute peritonitis with three different rat models. Methods: Acute peritonitis was induced by three methods including intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), rats' feces or cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) operation. For each model, male Sprague Dawley rats were used and distributed into saline control group, HRW control group, saline plus model group, and HRW plus model group. Saline or HRW (3 ml per rat) was orally administered by gavage for 7 days beforehand and 3 days after modeling. The efficacy was tested by detecting concentrations of white blood cells (WBCs), plasma endotoxin, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. The activities of malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and glutathione (GSH) in visceral peritoneum tissues were also evaluated. Meanwhile, histopathology examination of visceral peritoneum was performed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression and location of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) in the visceral peritoneum were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: Three models showed the same result that hydrogen-rich water had an efficient protective effect on acute peritonitis. HRW could significantly lower the levels of WBCs, plasma endotoxin and cytokines, enhance GSH activity and reduce MPO and MDA activities in the peritoneum tissue when compared with that of groups with only saline treated. Simultaneously, we found that HRW could also decrease the NF-κB expression in the peritoneum tissues. Conclusion: Hydrogen-rich water could alleviate the severity of acute peritonitis, and it might perform this function by its anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation and anti-bacterial effects and reducing NF-κB expression in the peritoneum tissues.