Hydrogen Gas Protects Gut from Sepsis Damage in Animal Study
Hydrogen Gas Protects Against Intestinal Injury in Wild Type but Not NRF2 Knockout Mice with Severe Sepsis by Regulating HO-1 and HMGB1 Release
Research hubs: Immune System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- Authors
- Yang Yu, Yongyan Yang, Yingxue Bian, Yuan Li, Lingling Liu, Hongtao Zhang, Keliang Xie, Guolin Wang, Yong-Hao Yu
- Journal
- Shock
- Year
- 2017
- PMID
- 28234792
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Delivery
- Gas
- H₂ concentration
- 2% H2 gas
- Duration
- 1 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 69 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Breathing in 2% hydrogen gas helps mice survive severe sepsis by reducing gut damage and inflammation, but this benefit depends on a specific protective gene.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas protected the intestines during severe sepsis in normal mice by reducing harmful inflammation and increasing protective proteins, but only when the Nrf2 protein was present and functional.
Summary
This study tested whether hydrogen gas could protect the intestines during severe sepsis (a life-threatening infection) in mice. Researchers compared normal mice to mice lacking a protein called Nrf2, which helps cells defend against damage. Hydrogen gas improved survival and reduced intestinal injury in normal mice by lowering harmful inflammatory molecules and boosting protective proteins, but these benefits did not occur in mice without Nrf2, suggesting this protein is essential for hydrogen's protective effects.
Practical Takeaway
This animal study suggests hydrogen gas may help protect intestinal tissue during severe sepsis, but the findings are limited to mice and depend on having a fully functional Nrf2 system. Human studies would be needed to determine if these results apply to people with sepsis. The research is early-stage and does not yet support using hydrogen gas as a sepsis treatment.
Abstract (excerpt)
The intestine plays an important role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Hydrogen gas (H2), which has anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects, can be effectively used to treat septic mice. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a redox-sensitive master switch that…