Hydrogen Gas Helps Reduce Asthma Symptoms in Mice Study
- Authors
- Hongchang Li, Xia Qi, Hongyan Xu, Rong Zhou, Xiaochun Liu, Lei Li, Cuiping Hu, Chunli Dai
- Journal
- European Journal of Medical Research
- Year
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1186/s40001-025-03296-7
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Asthma
- Body System
- Respiratory
TL;DR
Hydrogen gas inhalation reduced airway inflammation, oxidative stress, and Th2 cytokines in a mouse model of asthma, improving lung function and tissue health.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas inhalation reduced airway inflammation and hyperreactivity in mice with asthma by decreasing pro-inflammatory immune signals and boosting the body's natural anti-inflammatory defenses.
Summary
Researchers gave mice with asthma-like inflammation the ability to breathe hydrogen gas for 7 days and measured how it affected their lungs. Compared to mice that didn't receive hydrogen, the hydrogen-treated mice showed reduced airway inflammation, lower levels of immune molecules that trigger asthma symptoms, and improved antioxidant activity (the body's natural defense against cellular damage). Lung tissue examination showed that hydrogen treatment significantly reduced the inflammatory damage seen in untreated asthmatic mice.
Practical Takeaway
This mouse study suggests hydrogen inhalation may help reduce asthma-related lung inflammation through multiple mechanisms. However, this is early-stage research in animals only—human studies would be needed to determine if these effects translate to people with asthma. Anyone with asthma should continue working with their healthcare provider rather than relying on unproven treatments.
Abstract
Asthma, a prevalent noninfectious chronic disease characterized by type II inflammation, features airway hyperreactivity, bronchoconstriction, and airway remodeling, ultimately causing widespread airway narrowing. Hydrogen has been shown to exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are beneficial for a range of diseases. This study initially investigated the ameliorative effects of hydrogen gas inhalation on lung inflammation in mice with asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA). The mice were first sensitized with OVA and subsequently exposed to nebulized 1% OVA via the airway to induce an asthma model. Hydrogen was inhaled for 7 consecutive days as a therapeutic intervention to detect changes in various indicators. Compared with the control treatment, hydrogen inhalation significantly mitigated OVA-induced airway hyperreactivity and inflammation. Hydrogen inhalation attenuated the immune response; decreased the levels of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13; and further increased the mRNA expression levels of Treg-associated cytokines, namely, IL-10 and TGF-β1, thereby bolstering the body's inflammatory resistance mechanisms. In addition, it also reduced total serum IgE levels and malondialdehyde (MDA) production and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) secretion in lung tissue. The histological analysis of lung tissues revealed that OVA induced prominent inflammatory cell infiltration and cell proliferation in the alveolar wall, which were markedly ameliorated in the hydrogen-treated group, indicating reduced pathological damage. These findings indicate that hydrogen inhalation effectively suppresses OVA-induced asthma, leading to a substantial improvement in associated lung inflammation, and that the inhalation of hydrogen may be a more feasible approach for future asthma treatment strategies.