Can hydrogen gas help treat severe infections like sepsis?

This mouse study suggests hydrogen inhalation therapy may help treat severe sepsis by reducing harmful inflammation and improving survival rates. The treatment increased survival from 0% to 60% in the study mice.

How does hydrogen gas reduce inflammation in sepsis?

Hydrogen acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, reducing harmful molecules like TNF-α and IL-6 while increasing beneficial anti-inflammatory IL-10. This helps prevent the excessive inflammatory response that damages organs in sepsis.

Is hydrogen inhalation safe for treating infections?

Hydrogen gas is generally considered safe as it's naturally produced by gut bacteria and easily eliminated from the body. However, this was an animal study, and human trials would be needed to confirm safety and effectiveness.

What concentration of hydrogen was used in this sepsis study?

Researchers used 2% hydrogen gas administered for one hour at two specific time points after inducing sepsis. This relatively low concentration showed significant therapeutic benefits without apparent side effects.

Could hydrogen therapy be used alongside standard sepsis treatments?

The study suggests hydrogen inhalation could serve as an adjunctive (additional) treatment for sepsis, potentially enhancing standard care. However, human clinical trials would be needed before recommending this approach in medical practice.

Hydrogen Gas Improves Survival in Severe Infection by 60% in Mice Study

Authors: Hongtao Zhang, Yonghao Yu, Xiaoye Ma, Tao Yang, Nan Hu, Guo-Lin Wang
Journal: Chinese Critical Care Medicine
Year: 2015
DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.2095-4352.2015.06.016
Study Type: Mouse
Outcome: Positive
Peer Reviewed: Yes
Country: China
Health Condition: Severe Sepsis
Body System: Immune System

TL;DR

Breathing in hydrogen gas significantly improved survival and reduced inflammation and intestinal damage in mice with severe sepsis.

Key Finding

Hydrogen inhalation increased the 7-day survival rate of severely septic mice from 0% to 60% and reduced key inflammatory markers in the bloodstream.

Summary

Researchers gave mice with severe sepsis (a life-threatening infection) hydrogen gas to breathe and compared them to untreated septic mice. Mice that received hydrogen inhalation had a 60% survival rate after 7 days, while untreated septic mice did not survive. The hydrogen treatment reduced inflammatory molecules (chemical messengers that cause swelling and damage) in the blood and decreased damage to the intestines.

Practical Takeaway

This is an early-stage animal study showing hydrogen gas may help reduce inflammation and intestinal damage in severe sepsis. However, these results are from mice only and have not been tested in humans, so it is far too early to draw conclusions about hydrogen water or inhalation as a sepsis treatment in people. Further research in human patients would be needed to determine if these findings apply to human medicine.

Abstract

To investigate the effects and mechanisms of hydrogen inhalation on serum levels of pro-inflammatory factors and intestinal injury in severe septic mice. 176 male ICR mice were randomly divided into four groups: sham operation group, hydrogen control group ( sham + hydrogen inhalation ), model group ( severe sepsis model ) and hydrogen treatment group ( severe sepsis model + hydrogen inhalation ), with 44 mice in each group. Severe sepsis model was reproduced by cecal ligation and puncture ( CLP ). 2% hydrogen inhalation was given for 1 hour at 1 hour and 6 hours after sham or CLP operation. Twenty animals in each group were selected and observed for 7-day survival rate. Six animals in each group were selected and sacrificed at 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after sham or CLP, the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α ( TNF-α), interleukins ( IL-6, IL-10 ) and high mobility group box 1 ( HMGB1 ) in serum were determined, the intestinal histopathological changes and scores were evaluated by light microscopy, and the activities of myeloperoxidase ( MPO ) and caspase-3 were determined. The 7-day survival rate of severe sepsis mice was 0; the 7-day survival rate was increased to 60% in hydrogen treatment group, with statistical significance in variables compared with model group ( P < 0.05 ). Compared with sham operation group, the serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10 and HMGB1 were obviously increased, the intestine were heavily injured along with higher histopathological scores, and the intestinal MPO and caspase-3 activities were significantly enhanced at different time points after CLP in model group ( all P < 0.05 ). Compared with model group, the serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6 and HMGB1 were significantly decreased [ TNF-α ( ng/L ): 6 hours: 110.34±9.28 vs. 440.55±25.78, 12 hours: 82.29±8.43 vs. 448.36±32.54, 24 hours: 79.68±9.04 vs. 346.42±22.24, 48 hours: 80.79±10.06 vs. 368.94±31.58; IL-6 ( ng/L ): 12 hours: 58.68±8.55 vs. 158.28±16.73, 24 hours: 46.98±7.58 vs. 146.74±18.02, 48 hours: 38.67±8.22 vs. 136.45±15.45; HMGB1 ( μg/L ): 6 hours: 15.75±4.32 vs. 55.56±10.04, 12 hours: 32.02±9.33 vs. 89.65±15.65, 24 hours: 35.87±8.54 vs. 86.44±20.33, 48 hours: 23.85±9.83 vs. 98.33±18.88, all P < 0.05 ], the serum concentrations of IL-10 ( ng/L ) at 24 hours and 48 hours after CLP were obviously increased ( 24 hours: 135.44±16.43 vs. 79.22±12.03, 48 hours: 110.92±12.54 vs. 74.47±11.18, both P < 0.05 ), the intestinal injury were ameliorated with decreased histopathological scores ( 12 hours: 1.70±0.06 vs. 3.23±0.44, 24 hours: 2.12±0.31 vs. 4.51±0.58, 48 hours: 2.03±0.42 vs. 4.27±0.58, all P < 0.05 ), and the intestinal MPO and caspase-3 activities were significantly decreased [ MPO ( U/g ): 6 hours: 13.75±4.21 vs. 25.56±5.34, 12 hours: 14.72±4.22 vs. 30.53±6.87, 24 hours: 11.62±3.14 vs. 33.58±7.24, 48 hours: 11.33±4.03 vs. 38.57±8.12; caspase-3 ( fluorescence intensity ): 6 hours: 0.37±0.07 vs. 0.69±0.23, 12 hours: 0.42±0.07 vs. 0.86±0.13, 24 hours: 0.53±0.11 vs. 1.36±0.23, 48 hours: 0.50±0.08 vs. 1.48±0.15, all P < 0.05 ] in hydrogen treatment group. Hydrogen inhalation can down-regulate the systemic inflammatory response to ameliorate the intestinal injury, and it may improve the septic process and increase the survival rate of mice with severe sepsis.