Hydrogen Gas Reduces Liver Damage from Alcohol in Mouse Study
- Authors
- Haixia Liu, Xing Kang, Peng Ren, Xiaoyu Kuang, Xiaodan Yang, Hao Yang, Xiaorong Shen, Huan Yan, Yongbo Kang, Fan Zhang, Wang Xiaohui, Linzhi Guo, Weiping Fan
- Journal
- International Immunopharmacology
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110252
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Alcoholic Liver Disease
- Body System
- Hepatic
TL;DR
Breathing in hydrogen gas can reduce liver damage caused by alcohol by decreasing stress and inflammation in the liver, and by improving gut health in mice.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas inhalation reduced liver damage from alcohol in mice by lowering oxidative stress and inflammation while also improving gut bacteria composition and intestinal barrier function.
Summary
Researchers tested whether inhaling hydrogen gas could protect mice from liver damage caused by alcohol. They found that hydrogen gas reduced liver injury by decreasing harmful molecules (oxidative stress) and inflammation, while also improving the balance of bacteria in the gut and strengthening the intestinal lining. When they transferred gut bacteria from treated mice to untreated mice, the untreated mice also showed improvement, suggesting the beneficial bacteria played an important role in the protection.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage mouse study showing hydrogen gas may help protect against alcohol-related liver damage through multiple mechanisms. However, these results have not been tested in humans yet, and the study does not provide information about dosage, duration, or safety. Much more research would be needed before any conclusions could be drawn about hydrogen water or gas as a treatment for liver disease in people.
Abstract
Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a globally prevalent liver-related disorder characterized by severe oxidative stress and inflammatory liver damage, for which no effective treatment is currently available. Hydrogen gas (H2) has been demonstrated to be an efficient antioxidant in various diseases in animals as well as humans. However, the protective effects of H2 on ALD and its underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. The present study demonstrated that H2 inhalation ameliorated liver injury, and attenuated liver oxidative stress, inflammation, and steatosis in an ALD mouse model. Moreover, H2 inhalation improved gut microbiota, including increasing the abundance of Lachnospiraceae and Clostridia, and decreasing the abundance of Prevotellaceae and Muribaculaceae, and also improved intestinal barrier integrity. Mechanistically, H2 inhalation blocked activation of the LPS/TLR4/NF-κB pathway in liver. Notably, it was further demonstrated that the reshaped gut microbiota may accelerate alcohol metabolism, regulate lipid homeostasis and maintain immune balance by bacterial functional potential prediction (PICRUSt). Fecal microbiota transplantation from mice that had undergone H2 inhalation significantly alleviated acute alcoholic liver injury. In summary, the present study showed that H2 inhalation alleviated liver injury by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, while also improving intestinal flora and enhancing the intestinal barrier. H2 inhalation may serve as an effective intervention for preventing and treating ALD in a clinical context.