Atomic Hydrogen Stops Cancer Cell Growth in Lab Study
- Authors
- Kensuke Nakanishi, Takeki Hamasaki, Takuro Nakamura, Masumi Abe, Kiichiro Teruya, Yoshinori Katakura, Shinkatsu Morisawa, Sanetaka Shirahata
- Journal
- Basic and Applied Aspects
- Year
- 2010
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-90-481-3892-0_53
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Cancer
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
A special type of water containing tiny platinum particles and hydrogen gas can slow down the growth of certain cells and even cause them to self-destruct.
Key Finding
A solution combining dissolved hydrogen and platinum nanoparticles suppressed the growth of both cancer and muscle cells in laboratory cultures in a dose-dependent manner, with evidence suggesting this occurred through cell death via apoptosis.
Summary
Researchers tested a special water solution containing dissolved hydrogen and tiny platinum particles on two types of human cells grown in the laboratory: cancer cells (HL60) and muscle cells (L6). The solution slowed down cell growth in both types, and the researchers found evidence that the cells were dying through a process called apoptosis (programmed cell death). The platinum particles appeared to help convert regular hydrogen into atomic hydrogen (a single hydrogen atom), which may be responsible for the cell-killing effect.
Practical Takeaway
This is early laboratory research using cells in dishes, not human studies, so it cannot yet inform real-world health decisions. While the results are interesting for understanding how hydrogen might affect cells, many steps of testing in animals and humans would be needed before any therapeutic use could be considered. The study also involved platinum nanoparticles, which are not present in typical hydrogen water products.
Abstract
We previously reported electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) which produced near the cathode by electrolysis has a reductive activity. We also revealed that ERW contains both molecular hydrogen and platinum nanoparticles (Pt nps) derived from platinum-coated titanium electrodes. Pt nps have catalysis activity converting molecular hydrogen to atomic hydrogen. Thus, we regard a solution containing both dissolved hydrogen and Pt nps as a model water of ERW (H2/Pt nps solution), and then we tried to examine the physiological effects of H2/Pt nps solution. To our knowledge, there is no report on physiological effects of H2/Pt nps solution. Here, we report the effects of H2/Pt nps solution on the growth of promyelocytic cell line, HL60 cells and myogenic cell lines, L6 cells. H2/Pt nps solution suppressed cell growth in the presence of both hydrogen and Pt nps in a dose dependent manner. The result of sub-G1 analysis suggests that H2/Pt nps solution induces apoptosis in both HL60 and L6 cells. The labeled Pt nps in HL60 cells were detected in liposome, suggesting Pt nps is incorporated by endocytosis. These results suggest that atomic hydrogen catalyzed by Pt nps induced significant cell growth suppression and atomic hydrogen may be one of new signal of cell function. KeywordsPlatinum-Nanoparticles-Apoptosis-Atomic hydrogen-Antioxidant-ROS