Hydrogen Water Protects Heart from Cancer Drug Damage in Rats
- Authors
- Shujing Wu, Liqun Zhu, Jing Yang, Zhixin Fan, Yanli Dong, Rui Luan, Jingjing Cai, Lu Fu
- Journal
- Pharmazie
- Year
- 2014
- DOI
- 10.1691/ph.2014.3859
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Heart Failure
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Hydrogen-infused saline may help prevent heart damage caused by the cancer drug doxorubicin.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-containing saline improved cardiac function and reduced oxidative stress markers in rats treated with doxorubicin, a chemotherapy drug known to damage the heart.
Summary
Doxorubicin is a chemotherapy drug that can damage the heart by creating harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species. In this rat study, researchers tested whether hydrogen-containing saline (salt water with dissolved hydrogen gas) could protect against this damage. They found that rats receiving hydrogen-containing saline had better heart function and lower levels of oxidative stress markers compared to untreated rats.
Practical Takeaway
This early-stage animal study suggests hydrogen may help protect heart tissue from chemotherapy damage, but it was conducted only in rats and did not test hydrogen water in humans. Much more research, including human clinical trials, would be needed before any conclusions could be drawn about hydrogen water's effects on chemotherapy-related heart problems in people.
Abstract
Interactions between doxorubicin (DOX) and iron generate reactive oxygen species and contribute to DOX-induced heart failure. Hydrogen, as a selective antioxidant, is a promising potential therapeutic option for the treatment of a variety of diseases. Therefore, we investigated the preventive effects of hydrogen treatment on DOX-induced heart failure in rats. We found that cardiac function was significantly improved and that the plasma levels of oxidative-stress markers and myocardial autophagic activity were decreased in animals treated with hydrogen-containing saline. Therefore, we conclude that hydrogen-containing saline may have beneficial effects for doxorubicin-induced heart failure.