Hydrogen + Acupuncture Combo Reduces Brain Injury in Mice Study
- Authors
- Fan Wu, Wenting Su, Wang Xin, Chenhui Wang, Yongxing Sun, Baoguo Wang
- Journal
- Cytokine
- Year
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.cyto.2025.156931
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Combining hydrogen gas therapy with needle-embedding therapy significantly reduces brain swelling and inflammation in mice with brain injuries.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas combined with needle-embedding therapy reduced brain injury and swelling more effectively than either treatment alone in mice with traumatic brain injury.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen gas combined with needle-embedding therapy (a traditional acupuncture-like technique) could help treat traumatic brain injury in mice. They found that the combination treatment reduced brain swelling, decreased inflammatory responses, and protected brain cells better than either treatment alone by blocking specific inflammatory pathways in the brain.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study showing potential promise for a combined hydrogen and needle-embedding therapy approach to traumatic brain injury. However, these results are from mice only, and it remains unclear whether this combination would be safe or effective in humans. Much more research would be needed before any clinical application.
Abstract
Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a primary cause of disability and death worldwide and with unmet effective therapies. Molecular hydrogen (H2) exerts latent therapeutic means for TBI. Nevertheless, few studies have illustrated the roles of hydrogen combined with needle-embedding therapy (H2 + NET) in TBI and its exact mechanism remains unclear. Here, we elucidated the underlying mechanisms of H2 + NET in the TBI progression. Methods: Controlled cortical impact (CCI) method was conducted to construct TBI mouse model. The mNSS test was used for neurological function measurement. Nissl staining for evaluating neuronal injury, TUNEL assay for determining neuronal apoptosis and ELISA assay was applied for adenosine, ATP level and inflammatory cytokines determination. The relative mRNA levels of inflammatory elements were assessed by qRT-PCR analysis. Iba-1, NLRP3 and STING expression were determined through immunofluorescence staining. The expression of NLRP3 inflammasome related proteins and STING signaling pathway associated proteins were evaluated using Western blot. Results: H2 or NET treatment mitigated brain injury and reduced brain water content in CCI-induced TBI mouse model. CCI induction promoted microglia activation and inflammatory response, thereby activating the NLRP3 inflammasome activity and STING signaling pathway, which was partly reversed by H2 or NET treatment. However, H2 + NET significantly ameliorated brain oedema, and further inhibited inflammatory response, NLRP3 inflammasome activation and STING pathway activation in TBI mice when compared to the H2 or NET alone treatment group. Conclusion: Hydrogen combined with needle-embedding therapy acts as a promising intervention method for TBI through inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation via STING signaling pathway.