Hydrogen Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Arthritis Joint Pain
- Authors
- Hongwei Lu, Wei Wang, Xiaodiao Kang, Zeng Lin, Jun Pan, Shaowen Cheng, Jingdong Zhang
- Journal
- Journal of Inflammation Research
- Year
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.2147/JIR.S297622
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Osteoarthritis
- Body System
- Musculoskeletal
TL;DR
Hydrogen gas treatment may help protect against the damage and inflammation seen in osteoarthritis by blocking a specific signaling pathway in cells.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas reduced cartilage cell death and inflammatory damage in both laboratory cells and mice with surgically-induced osteoarthritis by blocking the JNK signaling pathway.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen gas could help protect against osteoarthritis (a disease where joint cartilage breaks down) by studying its effects on cartilage cells and in mice with artificially induced joint damage. They found that hydrogen reduced both cell death and inflammatory molecules that damage cartilage, and these effects appeared to work by blocking a specific cellular signaling pathway called JNK.
Practical Takeaway
While these results are promising, this research was conducted only in mice and laboratory cells—not in humans. Early evidence suggests hydrogen may help slow osteoarthritis progression, but human studies would be needed to determine whether hydrogen water or gas could provide similar benefits for people with joint disease.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a very common condition and leads to joint pain, disability, and price tag all over the world. Pathogenesis of OA is closely related to numerous inflammatory and apoptosis cytokines. Hydrogen (H2) reportedly exhibits a diversity of effects such as anti-apoptotic…