Hydrogen Gas Improves Lung Transplant Success in Rats
- Authors
- Kentaro Noda, Norihisa Shigemura, Yugo Tanaka, Jay Bhama, Jonathan D’Cunha, Hirosuke Kobayashi, James D. Luketich, Christian A. Bermudez
- Journal
- Transplantation
- Year
- 2014
- DOI
- 10.1097/TP.0000000000000254
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- United States
- Health Condition
- End-Stage Lung Disease
- Body System
- Respiratory
TL;DR
Inhaling hydrogen gas before a lung transplant procedure helps reduce inflammation and improve lung function after the transplant.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas preconditioning during lung preservation reduced inflammatory responses and metabolic stress while improving the function of transplanted lungs in rats.
Summary
This rat study tested whether adding hydrogen gas to the air used during lung preservation could improve the quality of lungs before transplant. Researchers found that the standard preservation process triggered inflammation and metabolic stress in the lungs, but exposing the lungs to 2% hydrogen gas reduced these harmful effects, improved the lungs' energy production, and resulted in better function after transplant into recipient rats.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage rat study showing hydrogen gas may help preserve donor lungs for transplant, but it has not been tested in humans. The findings are promising for organ transplant medicine, though much more research would be needed before this approach could be used clinically.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background: Although the benefits of ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) have been globally advocated, the potentially deleterious effects of applying EVLP, in particular activation of proinflammatory cascades and alteration of metabolic profiles, are rarely discussed. This study examined proinflammatory…