Hydrogen Water Protects Kidneys After Severe Burns in Animal Study

Authors
Journal
Journal of Translational Medicine
Year
DOI
10.1186/s12967-015-0548-3
Study Type
Rat
Outcome
Positive
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Country
China
Health Condition
Acute Kidney Injury
Body System
Renal

TL;DR

Hydrogen-rich saline treatment can reduce kidney damage and improve kidney function in rats with severe burns by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation.

Key Finding

Hydrogen-rich saline reduced kidney damage and cell death in severely burned rats by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.

Summary

This study tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (a salt solution containing dissolved hydrogen gas) could protect kidney function in severely burned rats. Researchers gave some burned rats regular saline and others hydrogen-rich saline, then measured kidney damage and markers of cell death and inflammation. Rats treated with hydrogen-rich saline showed better kidney function, less cell death in the kidneys, and reduced signs of oxidative stress (cellular damage from unstable molecules) and inflammation compared to rats given regular saline.

Practical Takeaway

This is an early-stage animal study suggesting hydrogen may help protect kidneys during severe burn injury, but it was conducted only in rats and has not been tested in humans. Much more research, including human clinical trials, would be needed before any conclusions could be drawn about hydrogen's usefulness for burn patients.

Abstract

Early acute kidney injury (AKI) in severely burned patients predicts a high mortality that is multi-factorial. Hydrogen has been reported to alleviate organ injury via selective quenching of reactive oxygen species. This study investigated the potential protective effects of hydrogen against severe burn-induced early AKI in rats. Severe burn were induced via immersing the shaved back of rats into a 100°C bath for 15 s. Fifty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into Sham, Burn + saline, and Burn + hydrogen-rich saline (HS) groups, and renal function and the apoptotic index were measured. Kidney histopathology and immunofluorescence staining, quantitative real-time PCR, ELISA and western blotting were performed on the sera or renal tissues of burned rats to explore the underlying effects and mechanisms at varying time points post burn. Renal function and tubular apoptosis were improved by HS treatment. In addition, the oxidation-reduction potential and malondialdehyde levels were markedly reduced with HS treatment, whereas endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly increased. HS also decreased the myeloperoxidase levels and influenced the release of inflammatory mediators in the sera and renal tissues of the burned rats. The regulatory effects of HS included the inhibition of p38, JNK, ERK and NF-κB activation, and an increase in Akt phosphorylation. Hydrogen can attenuate severe burn-induced early AKI; the mechanisms of protection include the inhibition of oxidative stress induced apoptosis and inflammation, which may be mediated by regulation of the MAPKs, Akt and NF-κB signalling pathways.