Hydrogen Water Protects Liver from Damage in Mouse Study
- Authors
- Yukinori Koyama, Kojiro Taura, Etsuro Hatano, Kazutaka Tanabe, Gen Yamamoto, Kojiro Nakamura, Kenya Yamanaka, Koji Kitamura, Masato Narita, Hiromitsu Nagata, Atsuko Yanagida, Taku Iida, Keiko Iwaisako, Hikohito Fujinawa, Shinji Uemoto
- Journal
- Hepatology Research
- Year
- 2014
- DOI
- 10.1111/hepr.12165
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Liver Fibrosis
- Body System
- Hepatic
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water helped reduce liver damage in mice by targeting harmful oxygen molecules, but it didn't work in all types of liver injury models.
Key Finding
Oral hydrogen water suppressed liver fibrosis in mice by protecting liver cells from oxidative damage, though this protective effect did not occur in all types of liver injury models tested.
Summary
Researchers gave mice hydrogen-enriched water or regular water, then induced liver damage using different methods to see if hydrogen water could prevent liver scarring (fibrosis). Hydrogen water significantly reduced liver scarring in two of the three damage models tested. In lab experiments, hydrogen water protected liver cells from damage caused by harmful molecules called hydroxyl radicals (a type of reactive oxygen species), which are involved in liver injury.
Practical Takeaway
This animal study suggests hydrogen water may help protect liver cells from oxidative stress-related damage, but these are early findings in mice only. The effect was not universal across all liver injury types, and human studies would be needed to determine if these results apply to people with liver disease.
Abstract
AimLiver fibrosis is the universal consequence of chronic liver diseases. Sustained hepatocyte injury initiates an inflammatory response, thereby activating hepatic stellate cells, the principal fibrogenic cells in the liver. Reactive oxygen species are involved in liver injury and are a promising target for treating liver fibrosis. Hydrogen water is reported to have potential as a therapeutic tool for reactive oxygen species‐associated disorders. This study aimed to investigate the effects of hydrogen water on liver fibrogenesis and the mechanisms underlying these effects.MethodsC57BL/6 mice were fed with hydrogen water or control water, and subjected to carbon tetrachloride, thioacetamide and bile duct ligation treatments to induce liver fibrosis. Hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells were isolated from mice and cultured with or without hydrogen to test the effects of hydrogen on reactive oxygen species‐induced hepatocyte injuries or hepatic stellate cell activation.ResultsOral intake of hydrogen water significantly suppressed liver fibrogenesis in the carbon tetrachloride and thioacetamide models, but these effects were not seen in the bile duct ligation model. Treatment of isolated hepatocyte with 1 μg/mL antimycin A generated hydroxyl radicals. Culturing in the hydrogen‐rich medium selectively suppressed the generation of hydroxyl radicals in hepatocytes and significantly suppressed hepatocyte death induced by antimycin A; however, it did not suppress hepatic stellate cell activation.ConclusionWe conclude that hydrogen water protects hepatocytes from injury by scavenging hydroxyl radicals and thereby suppresses liver fibrogenesis in mice.