Hydrogen Therapy Improves Brain Function in Glioma Cancer Patients
- Authors
- Yan Li, Li Zhang, Shengjun Wang, Yumin Feng, Zhiyin Pang, Wenjian Zhen, Jinmin Hao
- Journal
- Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
- Year
- 2024
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Brain Glioma
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Inhaling hydrogen gas improves nerve function and reduces harmful oxidative stress in brain cancer patients, potentially making it a helpful additional treatment.
Key Finding
Patients with brain glioma who received hydrogen inhalation therapy combined with standard treatment showed significantly better overall clinical improvement (90% vs 72%) and better recovery of nerve function compared to those receiving standard treatment alone.
Summary
This study tested whether inhaling hydrogen gas could help brain tumor (glioma) patients recover better when combined with standard treatment. Researchers divided 100 patients into two groups: one receiving standard treatment alone and one receiving standard treatment plus hydrogen inhalation for 2 weeks. The hydrogen group showed better overall improvement (90% vs 72%), better nerve function recovery, lower markers of cellular damage (oxidative stress), and higher levels of a protein (E-cadherin) associated with cell stability.
Practical Takeaway
This small, short-term study suggests hydrogen inhalation may support standard glioma treatment, but it has important limitations: it only lasted 2 weeks, involved a relatively small number of patients, and lacked details about long-term outcomes. Much more research is needed before hydrogen therapy could be considered a proven treatment option for brain tumors. Anyone with glioma should discuss any complementary therapies with their oncologist before trying them.
Abstract
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effects of hydrogen therapy on nerve function and tumor progression markers in glioma patients, focusing on the modulation of oxidative stress and cadherin expression to establish its potential as a complementary treatment. Methods: 100 glioma patients were enrolled and divided into two groups using the random number table: routine treatment (50) and hydrogen inhalation plus routine treatment (50). After 2 weeks of treatment, clinical curative effect, levels of nerve function indexes [national institute of health stroke scale (NIHSS), central nervous specific protein (S100β), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)], oxidative stress indexes [malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT)] and E-cadherin before and after treatment, and occurrence of adverse reactions during treatment were compared between the two groups. Results: After treatment, the overall effect of the hydrogen inhalation group (90.00%) was significantly better than that of the conventional group (72.00%), which was statistically significant (P = .022). In terms of specific biomarkers, post-treatment levels of E-cadherin were elevated to 0.84±0.05 ng/mL in the hydrogen group compared to 0.72±0.06 ng/mL in the routine group. SOD and CAT levels rose to 63.21±5.36 U/L and 8.01±0.54 U/mL, respectively, versus 52.31±5.24 U/L and 5.25±0.59 U/mL in the routine group (P < .05 for both). Conversely, the NIHSS scores decreased significantly to 12.19±2.08 in the hydrogen group, compared to 16.92±2.23 in the routine group. Similarly, S100β, NSE, GFAP, and MDA levels were found to be lower in the hydrogen group (0.41±0.09 µg/L, 8.24±1.64 ng/mL, 0.71±0.23 pg/mL, and 6.05±1.08 mmol/L respectively) than in the routine group (0.66±0.12 µg/L, 10.67±1.83 ng/mL, 0.93±0.29 pg/mL, and 7.21±1.12 mmol/L respectively) with P < .05 for all comparisons. The total incidence of adverse reactions was slightly lower in the hydrogen group (64.00%) compared to the routine group (68.00%), but this difference was not statistically significant (χ2=0.178, P = .673). Conclusion: Hydrogen inhalation therapy significantly enhances nerve function, reduces local oxidative stress levels, and increases E-cadherin levels in patients with brain glioma, suggesting its potential as an adjunct treatment. The findings underscore the therapy's role in enhancing patient recovery and guiding future research and treatment strategies.