Hydrogen Gas Inhalation and Cardiac Remodeling After Heart Attack in Rats
Hydrogen gas inhalation ameliorates cardiac remodelling and fibrosis by regulating NLRP3 inflammasome in myocardial infarction rats
Research hubs: Cardiovascular System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Chaoqun Nie, Rentong Zou, Shuang Pan, Rong A, Yunan Gao, Hongxiao Yang, Juncai Bai, Shuiqing Xi, Xue Wang, Xiaojian Hong, Wei Yang
- Journal
- Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
- Year
- 2021
- PMID
- 34402164
- Study Type
- Rat
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 2% H2 inhalation for 28 days, 3 hours/day
- H₂ concentration
- 2%
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 42 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Inhaling hydrogen gas helps improve heart function and reduce heart scarring in rats after a heart attack.
Key Finding
Inhaling hydrogen gas at 2% concentration for 28 days significantly reduced cardiac scarring and improved heart function in rats with heart attack damage, primarily by reducing inflammatory cell death.
Summary
This study tested whether inhaling hydrogen gas could help repair heart damage in rats that had suffered a heart attack. Rats breathed in 2% hydrogen gas for 3 hours daily over 28 days. The treatment improved heart function and reduced scarring (fibrosis) in the heart tissue. Laboratory experiments showed hydrogen gas also protected heart cells from damage and reduced the activity of cells that cause scarring.
Practical Takeaway
This is early-stage research in rats only, so results cannot yet be applied to humans. The study suggests hydrogen gas inhalation may have protective effects on heart tissue after injury, but human clinical trials would be needed to determine if this approach is safe and effective for people with heart disease.
Abstract (excerpt)
AbstractIt is noteworthy that prolonged cardiac structural changes and excessive fibrosis caused by myocardial infarction (MI) seriously interfere with the treatment of heart failure in clinical practice. Currently, there are no effective and practical means of either prevention or treatment. Thus…