High-Dose Hydrogen Gas Protects Hearts During Heart Attacks in Mice
High-concentration hydrogen protects mouse heart against ischemia/reperfusion injury through activation of thePI3K/Akt1 pathway
Research hubs: Cardiovascular System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- Authors
- Ouyang Chen, Zhiyong Cao, He Li, Zhouheng Ye, Rongjia Zhang, Ning Zhang, Junlong Huang, Ting Zhang, Liping Wang, Ling Han, Wenwu Liu, Xuejun Sun
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Year
- 2017
- PMID
- 29093541
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 67% H2 and 33% O2 administered during 90-min reperfusion after 45 min ischemia; 75% hydrogen during 4 h reoxygenation after 3-h hypoxia (in vitro)
- H₂ concentration
- 67% H2 and 33% O2; 75% hydrogen (in vitro)
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 35 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
High-concentration hydrogen gas can protect the heart from damage after a blockage of blood flow, and this protection is largely due to the activation of a specific protein called Akt1.
Key Finding
High-concentration hydrogen gas protected mouse hearts from ischemia/reperfusion injury (damage from blocked blood flow followed by restoration) by activating the PI3K/Akt1 cellular signaling pathway, and blocking this pathway eliminated hydrogen's protective effects.
Summary
Researchers exposed mice to a heart attack-like condition (where blood flow to the heart is blocked then restored) and tested whether high-concentration hydrogen gas could protect heart tissue from damage. They found that hydrogen gas did protect the heart, and this protection worked by activating a specific cellular pathway called PI3K/Akt1. When they blocked this pathway with inhibitor drugs, hydrogen's protective effect disappeared, suggesting this pathway is essential for hydrogen's heart-protective action.
Practical Takeaway
This mouse study provides early evidence that hydrogen gas may have potential to protect heart tissue during cardiac events, but the findings are limited to animal models and do not yet demonstrate safety or effectiveness in humans. Much more research, including human clinical trials, would be needed before hydrogen could be considered a viable cardiac therapy.
Abstract (excerpt)
The study investigated the role of Akt1 through the cardioprotection of high-concentration hydrogen (HCH). C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the following groups: sham, I/R, I/R + HCH, I/R + HCH + LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor), I/R + HCH + wortmannin (PI3K inhibitor), I/R + LY294002, and I/R…