Hydrogen Gas Beats Cooling Therapy for Heart Attack Recovery in Rats
- Authors
- Pei Wang, Liyan Jia, Bihua Chen, Lei Zhang, Jiankang Liu, Jiangang Long, Yongqin Li
- Journal
- Shock
- Year
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.1097/SHK.0000000000000585
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Cardiac Arrest
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Inhaling a small amount of hydrogen gas was more effective than mild cooling of the body in improving heart function and brain recovery after a simulated cardiac arrest in rats.
Key Finding
Rats that inhaled 2% hydrogen after asphyxial cardiac arrest had significantly better heart function, neurological recovery, and 96-hour survival rates (75%) compared to mild hypothermia (46%) or standard treatment (33%).
Summary
Researchers studied whether breathing a mixture containing hydrogen gas could help rats recover after cardiac arrest caused by suffocation. After successfully reviving the rats, some breathed hydrogen-enriched air while others received standard air or were cooled (a known treatment). The hydrogen-breathing group showed better heart function, better neurological recovery, and higher survival rates (75%) compared to the cooled group (46%) or standard treatment (33%).
Practical Takeaway
This rat study suggests hydrogen inhalation may help protect the heart and brain after cardiac arrest, potentially outperforming current cooling treatments. However, this is early-stage animal research and much more work—including human trials—would be needed before any clinical application. The findings are interesting but cannot yet be applied to human cardiac arrest treatment.
Abstract
Background: Non-shockable rhythms represent an increasing proportion of reported cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest but with an associated poor prognosis. In the present study, we investigated the effects of hydrogen inhalation on cardiac and neurological function after cardiopulmonary resuscitation and compared the therapeutic benefit with hypothermia in an asphyxial rat model of cardiac arrest. Methods: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated after 5 minutes of untreated asphyxial cardiac arrest. Animals were randomly assigned to three experimental groups immediately following successful resuscitation: ventilation with 2% hydrogen/98% oxygen under normothermia (H2 inhalation), ventilation with 2% nitrogen/98% oxygen under normothermia (Control) and ventilation with 2% nitrogen/98% oxygen under hypothermia (TH). Mixed gas inhalation continued for 1 hour while hypothermia continued for 2 hours. Animals were observed up to 96 hours for assessment of survival and neurologic recovery. Results: No statistical differences in baseline measurements were observed among groups and all the animals were successfully resuscitated. Serum cardiac troponin T and S100B measured during earlier post-resuscitation period were markedly reduced in both H2 inhalation and hypothermic groups. However, significantly better left ventricular ejection fraction, cardiac work and neurological deficit score were observed in the H2 inhalation group. Ninety-six hours survival rate was significantly higher in H2 inhalation group (75.0%), either compared with TH (45.8%) or compared with Control (33.3%). But there was no statistical difference between TH and Control. Conclusions: Small amounts of inhaled hydrogen was superior to mild hypothermia in improving cardiac function and neurological outcome in this asphyxial rat model of cardiac arrest.