Hydrogen Gas Protects Liver from Alcohol Damage in Mouse Study
- Authors
- Yaxing Zhang, Mingmin Bi, Zifeng Chen, Min Dai, Ge Zhou, Yuxuan Hu, Hongzhi Yang, Weibing Guan
- Journal
- Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine
- Year
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.3892/etm.2021.9884
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Alcoholic Liver Disease
- Body System
- Hepatic
TL;DR
Injecting hydrogen gas into the abdomen of mice reduces liver damage caused by binge drinking.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas injections reduced liver damage markers (ALT and AST enzymes) in mice exposed to acute alcohol by inhibiting a cellular pathway called JNK activation.
Summary
Researchers gave mice hydrogen gas injections to see if it could protect their livers from damage caused by binge drinking. When mice were given a large dose of alcohol, their livers showed signs of injury (measured by liver enzymes in the blood). However, mice that received hydrogen gas injections beforehand had less liver damage and lower cholesterol levels than mice that didn't receive hydrogen.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study showing hydrogen gas may protect against acute alcohol-induced liver injury in mice. However, this was only tested in mice using injected hydrogen gas—not the hydrogen water that consumers can drink—so it's too early to draw conclusions about whether hydrogen water would help protect human livers from alcohol damage.
Abstract (excerpt)
Binge alcohol drinking is fast becoming a global health concern, with the liver among the first organ involved and the one afflicted with the greatest degree of injury. Oxidative stress, alterations in hepatic metabolism, immunity and inflammation have all been reported to contribute…