Hydrogen Therapy Shows Promise for Organ Transplant Complications
- Authors
- Lijuan Yuan, Jianliang Shen
- Journal
- Clinics
- Year
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.6061/clinics/2016(09)10
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Graft-versus-Host Disease
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
Scientists found that hydrogen gas might help protect organs after transplants by reducing damage and swelling, which could make transplants work better and last longer in patients who receive them.
Key Finding
Animal studies show hydrogen gas may reduce transplant-related complications by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in both the transplanted organ and the body's systemic circulation.
Summary
This review examined whether hydrogen gas might help prevent complications after organ transplants, specifically graft-versus-host disease (a condition where transplanted cells attack the recipient's body) and ischemia-reperfusion injury (damage that occurs when blood flow is restored to a transplanted organ). The authors found that in animal studies, hydrogen gas—either inhaled or dissolved in salt water—reduced harmful inflammation and oxidative stress (cellular damage from unstable molecules) in transplanted organs and throughout the body, potentially improving transplant outcomes.
Practical Takeaway
While these findings are promising, they come entirely from animal research—no human clinical trials of hydrogen for transplant complications have been completed yet. Anyone involved in organ transplantation should discuss any experimental therapies with their transplant team rather than pursuing hydrogen water independently, as the clinical relevance and safety in humans remain unknown.
Abstract
Post-transplant complications such as graft-versus-host disease and graft ischemia-reperfusion injury are crucial challenges in transplantation. Hydrogen can act as a potential antioxidant, playing a preventive role against post-transplant complications in animal models of multiple organ transplantation. Herein, the authors review the current literature regarding the effects of hydrogen on graft ischemia-reperfusion injury and graft-versus-host disease. Existing data on the effects of hydrogen on ischemia-reperfusion injury related to organ transplantation are specifically reviewed and coupled with further suggestions for future work. The reviewed studies showed that hydrogen (inhaled or dissolved in saline) improved the outcomes of organ transplantation by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation at both the transplanted organ and the systemic levels. In conclusion, a substantial body of experimental evidence suggests that hydrogen can significantly alleviate transplantation-related ischemia-reperfusion injury and have a therapeutic effect on graft-versus-host disease, mainly via inhibition of inflammatory cytokine secretion and reduction of oxidative stress through several underlying mechanisms. Further animal experiments and preliminary human clinical trials will lay the foundation for hydrogen use as a drug in the clinic.