Hydrogen Water Protects Hearts from Damage During Heart Attacks
- Authors
- Liangtong Li, Tongtong Liu, Li Liu, Shaochun Li, Zhe Zhang, Ruisha Zhang, Yujuan Zhou, Fulin Liu
- Journal
- Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10863-019-09814-7
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Drinking water enriched with hydrogen gas may help protect the heart from damage caused by temporary loss and restoration of blood flow by activating a protective signaling pathway in the body.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water activated protective cellular pathways in rat heart tissue, significantly increasing antioxidant proteins and reducing oxidative stress markers during simulated heart attack and blood flow restoration.
Summary
Researchers studied whether hydrogen-rich water could protect rat heart tissue from damage caused by temporarily cutting off blood flow and then restoring it (a condition called ischemia-reperfusion injury). They compared hearts treated with hydrogen-rich water to untreated hearts and measured levels of protective proteins and antioxidants (substances that reduce harmful chemical damage). Hearts treated with hydrogen-rich water showed higher levels of protective proteins and antioxidants, and experienced less oxidative stress damage compared to untreated hearts.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage rat study showing hydrogen-rich water may have heart-protective properties at the cellular level. However, these results are from isolated rat hearts in a laboratory setting, not living animals or humans, so it's unclear whether the same effects would occur in people. More research, including human studies, would be needed before drawing conclusions about health benefits.
Abstract
The effects of hydrogen-rich water on oxidative stress via the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway were studied in rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). Sixty rats were randomly divided into a hydrogen-rich water group and a control group, with 30 rats in each group. The two groups were randomly divided into three groups: pre-ischemic period, ischemic period and reperfusion period. After the heart was removed, it was fixed in a Langendorff device and perfused with an oxygen-balanced 37 °C perfusate. The control group was perfused with Kreb's-Ringers (K-R) solution, and the hydrogen-rich water group was perfused with K-R solution + hydrogen-rich water. The levels of mRNA and protein of Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1 and SOD-1 in cardiomyocytes were detected by RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot analysis. SOD activity and MDA content were determined. Hydrogen-rich water increased the activation of the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway, and the levels of mRNA and protein Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1 and SOD-1 were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the ischemia-reperfusion period compared with the ischemic period. In the control group, the levels of mRNA and protein of Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1 and SOD-1 were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in the ischemia-reperfusion period compared with the ischemic period. Compared with the ischemic period, the ischemia-reperfusion phase showed significantly increased SOD activity and significantly decreased MDA content in the hydrogen-rich water group, while SOD activity was significantly decreased, and MDA content was significantly increased in the control group (P < 0.05). Hydrogen-rich water can activate the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway, alleviate ischemia-reperfusion injury in isolated rat hearts and reduce the oxidative stress level of myocardial tissue.