Hydrogen Gas Protects Baby Rat Brains from Anesthesia Damage
Hydrogen gas attenuates sevoflurane neurotoxicity through inhibiting nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells signaling and proinflammatory cytokine release in neonatal rats
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Yiwei Shi, Gang Wang, Jinyuan Li, Wenli Yu
- Journal
- Neuroreport
- Year
- 2017
- PMID
- 28926473
- Study Type
- Rat
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- hydrogen gas for 2 hours
- Duration
- 10 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 19 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Breathing in hydrogen gas may protect baby rats' brains from the harmful effects of a common anesthetic that can cause learning and memory problems.
Key Finding
In newborn rats, hydrogen gas reduced memory and learning problems caused by sevoflurane anesthesia by suppressing inflammatory responses in the brain.
Summary
This study tested whether hydrogen gas could protect newborn rats' brains from damage caused by sevoflurane, a common anesthetic used during surgery. Researchers exposed newborn rats to sevoflurane with or without hydrogen gas, then tested their memory and learning abilities 10 weeks later. Rats that received hydrogen gas along with the anesthetic showed better memory and learning than those who received the anesthetic alone, and the hydrogen gas reduced inflammation-related molecules in their brains.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study suggesting hydrogen gas may have protective effects against anesthetic-related brain damage in developing brains. However, this research was conducted only in rats, not humans, so it's unclear whether these results would apply to human infants. Much more research, including human studies, would be needed before hydrogen gas could be considered a clinical strategy for protecting children during anesthesia.
Abstract (excerpt)
Anesthesia neurotoxicity in developing brain has gained increasing attention. However, knowledge regarding its mitigating strategies remains scant. Sevoflurane, a commonly used anesthetic, is responsible for learning and memory deficits in neonates. Molecular hydrogen is reported to be a potential…