Hydrogen Therapy Reduces Breast Infection in Mice Study
- Authors
- Na Geng, Xin Gao, Xiaozhou Wang, Shuai Cui, Jinji Wang, Yongxia Liu, Wei Chen, Jianzhu Liu
- Journal
- International Immunopharmacology
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.108940
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Mastitis
- Body System
- Mammary System
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich Vitamin E glycerin is more effective at reducing inflammation and bacterial infection in mouse breast tissue than regular Vitamin E glycerin.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-enriched vitamin E glycerin reduced inflammatory markers and tissue damage in mice with bacterial mastitis more effectively than regular vitamin E glycerin by suppressing specific immune signaling pathways.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen-enriched vitamin E glycerin could reduce inflammation and tissue damage in mice with mastitis (breast infection) caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The hydrogen-enriched treatment was more effective than regular vitamin E glycerin at reducing inflammatory molecules and protecting breast tissue, and it worked by blocking specific immune signaling pathways that normally trigger inflammation in response to bacterial infection.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage mouse study suggesting hydrogen may have anti-inflammatory effects against bacterial mastitis. However, results from animal studies do not always translate to humans, and no human trials have been conducted. Much more research would be needed before drawing any conclusions about hydrogen's potential use for mastitis in people.
Abstract
Many studies have shown that hydrogen has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Because of its ability to quickly pass through cell membranes, hydrogen has become a hot spot in the research of inflammatory diseases. Vitamin E glycerin (VEG) and hydrogen-rich Vitamin E glycerin (HR-VEG) were prepared, aiming to explore their anti-inflammatory activities in mice mastitis induced by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). In the early part of this study, the prepared vitamin E medium (VEM) and hydrogen-rich vitamin E medium (HR-VEM) were added to mammary epithelial cells infected with S. aureus. HR-VEM was found to be more effective in reducing the phosphorylation of p65 and p38 and in reducing the production of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) than VEM. Whereafter, the mice model of mastitis was established by injecting S. aureus from the mammary duct. Then VEG and HR-VEG were applied to the mammary gland for seven consecutive days. After that, the clinical symptoms, histopathology, bacterial load, inflammatory factors, as well as the related pathway were analyzed. The results showed that HR-VEG can more significantly alleviate the damage of mammary tissue than VEG, and reduce the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-1β and interleukin 6 (IL-6). In addition, HR-VEG inhibited the TLR2 and Nod2 signaling pathways and reduced the phosphorylation level of MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways in S. aureus-induced murine mastitis. This study indicates that hydrogen helps to ameliorate S. aureus-induced mastitis in mice through attenuating TLR2 and Nod2 mediated NF-κB and MAPK activation.