Hydrogen Gas Protects Lungs from Sepsis Damage in Mice Study
Effects of hydrogen on lung injury in wild-type and Nrf2 gene knockout mice: relationship with Nrf2/HO-1/HMGB1 pathway
Research hubs: Respiratory System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- Authors
- Man Yang, Yang Yu, Keliang Xie, Yong-Hao Yu
- Journal
- Chinese Critical Care Medicine
- Year
- 2019
- PMID
- 31441411
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Participants
- 240
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 2% H2 inhalation for 1 hour at 1 hour and 6 hours after operation
- H₂ concentration
- 2% H2 gas
- Duration
- 1 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 4 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Hydrogen gas (H2) treatment improves survival and reduces lung damage in mice with sepsis by activating a protective pathway involving the Nrf2 protein.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas inhalation improved survival and reduced lung injury in septic mice, but only in mice with a functional Nrf2 protein—the effect completely disappeared in mice lacking Nrf2, indicating this protein is critical for hydrogen's protective action.
Summary
Researchers gave mice a severe infection (sepsis) and then treated some with hydrogen gas to see if it could help protect their lungs. They compared normal mice to mice genetically engineered to lack a protein called Nrf2. In normal mice, hydrogen gas improved survival rates and reduced lung damage by boosting the body's natural antioxidant defenses (proteins that fight harmful molecules). However, in mice without Nrf2, hydrogen gas had no protective effect, showing that this specific protein is essential for hydrogen's benefits.
Practical Takeaway
This mouse study suggests that hydrogen gas may help protect lungs during severe infection by activating a specific cellular defense pathway, but the findings are limited to animal models and cannot yet be applied to humans. The discovery that Nrf2 is essential for hydrogen's effects may help explain how hydrogen works in the body, though much more research—including human studies—would be needed before any health recommendations could be made.
Abstract (excerpt)
Objective: To investigate the key role of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the treatment of lung injury in sepsis mice by regulating Nrf2/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)/high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) pathway. Methods: 120 male wild type (WT) and 120 Nrf2 knockout (Nrf2-KO) ICR mice…