Hydrogen Gas Helps Brain Function in Sepsis Mice by Protecting Memory
Hydrogen gas alleviates sepsis-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment through regulation of DNMT1 and DNMT3a-mediated BDNF promoter IV methylation in mice
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System · Immune System
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- Authors
- Mingdong Yu, Chao Qin, Pei Li, Yingli Zhang, Ying Wang, Jing Zhang, Dedong Li, Huixing Wang, Yuechun Lu, Keliang Xie, Yang Yu, Yonghao Yu
- Journal
- International Immunopharmacology
- Year
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107583
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Sepsis
- Body System
- Nervous System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
TL;DR
Inhaling 2% hydrogen gas helps improve brain function and reduce inflammation in mice with sepsis-related brain damage by affecting how certain genes are controlled.
Key Finding
Inhaling 2% hydrogen gas reduced brain inflammation and improved cognitive function in septic mice by decreasing the methylation (chemical marking) of a gene region that controls BDNF, a protein essential for brain health and memory.
Summary
In mice with sepsis-induced brain inflammation, researchers tested whether inhaling 2% hydrogen gas could improve cognitive function and reduce brain damage. They found that hydrogen gas reduced inflammatory molecules in the brain, altered how certain genes were chemically marked (a process called methylation), increased levels of a protein important for brain health called BDNF, and improved the mice's memory and learning abilities in tests.
Practical Takeaway
This mouse study suggests hydrogen gas inhalation may help protect brain function during severe infection by working through an epigenetic mechanism (changes in how genes are chemically marked). However, this is early-stage research in animals only—human studies would be needed to determine if these effects apply to sepsis patients, and the study does not provide information about safety or optimal dosing for humans.
Abstract (excerpt)
Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) can cause acute and long-term cognitive impairment and increase the mortality rate in sepsis patients, and we previously reported that 2% hydrogen gas (H2) inhalation has a therapeutic effect on SAE, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Dynamic DNA…