Hydrogen Gas Helps Rats Survive Severe Blood Loss in Emergency Study
Hydrogen gas inhalation inhibits progression to the 'irreversible' stage of shock after severe hemorrhage in 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
- Tadashi Matsuoka, Masaru Suzuki, Motoaki Sano, Kei Hayashida, Tomoyoshi Tamura, Koichiro Homma, Keiichi Fukuda, Junichi Sasaki
- Journal
- Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
- Year
- 2017
- PMID
- 28640781
- Study Type
- Rat
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 1.3% H2 gas inhalation beginning at initiation of blood withdrawal and continuing for 2 hours after fluid resuscitation
- H₂ concentration
- 1.3% H2
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 25 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Breathing in hydrogen gas helped rats survive severe blood loss better than breathing in regular air.
Key Finding
Rats treated with hydrogen gas inhalation had an 80% survival rate after severe hemorrhage compared to 30% in control rats, with better restoration of blood pressure and metabolic stability.
Summary
This rat study tested whether breathing hydrogen gas could help animals survive severe bleeding (hemorrhagic shock). Researchers bled rats until their blood pressure dropped critically, then gave them either hydrogen gas or regular air while providing fluid resuscitation. Rats breathing hydrogen gas had an 80% survival rate compared to 30% in the control group, and showed better blood pressure recovery and fewer dangerous chemical imbalances in their blood.
Practical Takeaway
While this early-stage animal study suggests hydrogen gas may help the body tolerate severe blood loss, it is a rat study only and does not directly demonstrate effects in humans. Much more research, including human trials, would be needed before hydrogen gas could be considered for hemorrhagic shock treatment in clinical settings.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background: Mortality of hemorrhagic shock primarily depends on whether or not the patients can endure the loss of circulating volume until radical treatment is applied. We investigated whether hydrogen (H2) gas inhalation would influence the tolerance to hemorrhagic shock and improve survival…