Hydrogen Water Protects Brain from Methamphetamine Damage in Mice
- Authors
- Di Wen, Rongji Hui, Jian Wang, Xi Shen, Bing Xie, Miao Gong, Feng Yu, Bin Cong, Chunling Ma
- Journal
- Frontiers in Pharmacology
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.3389/fphar.2019.00823
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water may help protect the brain from damage and memory problems caused by methamphetamine use.
Key Finding
In mice exposed to methamphetamine, drinking hydrogen-rich water for 7 days significantly improved spatial memory performance and reduced neuronal damage and inflammatory markers in the hippocampus.
Summary
Researchers gave mice methamphetamine to damage their brains and impair their memory, then provided some mice with hydrogen-rich water to drink for a week. The mice that drank hydrogen-rich water showed better memory performance and less brain damage in the hippocampus (a memory-related brain region) compared to mice that drank regular water. The hydrogen also reduced markers of cell death and inflammation in the brain.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study showing hydrogen-rich water may have protective effects against methamphetamine-induced brain damage. However, results from mouse studies do not automatically translate to humans, and no human trials have been conducted. Much more research, including human studies, would be needed before any conclusions could be drawn about hydrogen water's potential benefits for people.
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive stimulant, and METH exposure can induce irreversible neuronal damage and cause neuropsychiatric and cognitive disorders. The ever-increasing levels of METH abuse worldwide have necessitated the identification of effective intervention strategies to protect the brain against METH-induced neurotoxicity. The protective effects of molecular hydrogen on oxidative stress and related neurodegenerative diseases have been recently elucidated. Herein, we investigated whether treatment with molecular hydrogen ameliorated the METH-induced neurotoxicity and spatial learning and memory impairments. Male C57BL/6 mice received four intraperitoneal METH injections (10 mg/kg, 3-h interval), and stereotypic behaviors and hyperthermia were observed. After METH treatment and behavioral observation, the mice were returned to their home cages, where they received water or hydrogen-rich water (HRW) ad libitum for 7 days. We found that the molecular hydrogen delivered by ad libitum HRW consumption significantly inhibited the METH-induced spatial learning impairment and memory loss evidenced in the Barnes maze and Morris water maze tests. Furthermore, molecular hydrogen significantly restrained the neuronal damage in the hippocampus after high-dose METH exposure. Ad libitum HRW consumption also had an inhibitory effect on the METH-induced increase in the expression of Bax/Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3, glucose-related protein 78 (GRP 78), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), and p-NF-kB p65 expression and elevation of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels in the hippocampus. These are the first findings to indicate that hydrogen might ameliorate METH-induced neurotoxicity and has a potential application in reducing the risk of neurodegeneration frequently observed in METH abusers.