Hydrogen Gas Protects Brain from Sepsis Damage in Mice
Hydrogen attenuates sepsis-associated encephalopathy by NRF2 mediated NLRP3 pathway inactivation
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System · Immune System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- Authors
- Ke-Liang Xie, Yang Zhang, Yaoqi Wang, Xiaoyin Meng, Yuzun Wang, Yonghao Yu, Hongguang Chen
- Journal
- Inflammation Research
- Year
- 2020
- PMID
- 32350570
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Dose
- 5 mL/kg H2-rich saline solution administered by i.p. injection at 1 h and 6 h after operation
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 79 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Hydrogen gas treatment can reduce brain inflammation and damage in mice with sepsis by activating a protective pathway, but this benefit is lost if the pathway is genetically disabled.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas protected the brain from sepsis-related damage in normal mice by activating a protein called NRF2, which then shut down an inflammatory pathway (NLRP3). This protective effect disappeared entirely in mice lacking NRF2, proving that NRF2 is necessary for hydrogen's neuroprotective action.
Summary
This study examined how hydrogen gas might protect the brain during sepsis (a severe infection that affects the whole body). Researchers induced sepsis in mice and found that hydrogen gas reduced brain inflammation, cell death, and damage to cellular structures called mitochondria. However, this protective effect only worked in normal mice—it failed completely in mice genetically engineered to lack a protein called NRF2, suggesting that NRF2 is essential for hydrogen's brain-protective effects.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study showing a potential mechanism by which hydrogen might help protect the brain during severe infections. However, these results are from mice only and have not been tested in humans. Much more research would be needed before any conclusions could be drawn about hydrogen's usefulness for sepsis-related brain complications in people.
Abstract (excerpt)
Objective Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Oxidative stress, inflammatory response and apoptosis participate in the pathogenesis of SAE. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor…