Hydrogen Water Protects Kidneys After Severe Burns in Animal Study
Effects of hydrogen-rich saline on early acute kidney injury in severely burned rats by suppressing oxidative stress induced apoptosis and inflammation
Research hubs: Skin & Dermatology System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Song-Xue Guo, Quan Fang, Chuan-Gang You, Yun-Yun Jin, Xin-Gang Wang, Xin-Lei Hu, Chun-Mao Han
- Journal
- Journal of Translational Medicine
- Year
- 2015
- PMID
- 26047940
- Study Type
- Rat
- Participants
- 56
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 69 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
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 (excerpt)
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…