Hydrogen Gas Protects Lungs from Infection-Induced Injury in Mice
Hydrogen gas alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury and inflammatory response in mice
Research hubs: Respiratory System
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- Authors
- Hongling Yin, Yajing Feng, Yi Duan, Shaolin Ma, Zhongliang Guo, Youzhen Wei
- Journal
- Journal of Inflammation
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12950-022-00314-x
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Acute Lung Injury
- Body System
- Respiratory
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
TL;DR
Breathing in hydrogen gas can help mice recover from a type of acute lung injury caused by bacterial toxins, likely by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas inhalation increased survival rates to 80% in mice with acute lung injury and reduced inflammatory markers and oxidative stress in the lungs.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen gas could protect mice from acute lung injury (severe lung damage caused by a bacterial toxin called lipopolysaccharide). Mice that received hydrogen gas had better survival rates (80%), less lung damage, and lower levels of inflammatory chemicals and harmful molecules in their lungs compared to mice that didn't receive hydrogen. The study suggests hydrogen may work by blocking a specific pathway in immune cells that normally triggers inflammation.
Practical Takeaway
This early evidence from mice suggests hydrogen gas may have protective effects against severe lung injury, but this is animal research only and does not yet demonstrate safety or effectiveness in humans. Much more research, including human studies, would be needed before hydrogen could be considered a treatment for lung conditions.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background: Chronic inflammation and oxidant/antioxidant imbalance are two main pathological features associated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI). The following study investigated the protective role of hydrogen (H2), a gaseous molecule without known toxicity…