Hydrogen Therapy Protects Eyes During Cataract Surgery
- Authors
- Tsutomu Igarashi, Ikuroh Ohsawa, Maika Kobayashi, Toru Igarashi, Hisaharu Suzuki, Masumi Iketani, Hiroshi Takahashi
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Year
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.1038/srep31190
- Study Type
- Rabbit
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Cataracts
- Body System
- Visual System
TL;DR
Adding hydrogen gas (H2) to the solution used in cataract surgery can protect the eye's corneal cells from damage caused by the procedure.
Key Finding
Hydrogen dissolved in surgical irrigation fluid significantly reduced corneal swelling and oxidative stress markers in rabbit cataract surgery, suggesting it may protect the cornea's inner lining from ultrasound-induced damage.
Summary
During cataract surgery using ultrasound (phacoemulsification), the sound waves create harmful molecules called hydroxyl radicals that damage the cornea's inner lining. Researchers tested whether hydrogen gas dissolved in the surgical fluid could prevent this damage. In lab tests and rabbit surgery studies, hydrogen-treated solution significantly reduced these harmful molecules, decreased corneal swelling, and lowered markers of cellular damage compared to standard surgical fluid.
Practical Takeaway
This early-stage animal study suggests hydrogen may have protective effects during cataract surgery, but human clinical trials are needed before any conclusions can be drawn about its real-world benefit. The findings are promising but limited to laboratory and rabbit models, so the relevance to human patients remains uncertain.
Abstract
In phacoemulsification, ultrasound induces hydroxyl radical (·OH) formation, damaging corneal endothelium. Whether H2 can prevent such oxidative damage in phacoemulsification was examined by in vitro and in vivo studies. H2 was dissolved in a commercial irrigating solution. The effects of H2 against ·OH generation were first confirmed in vitro by electron-spin resonance (ESR) and hydroxyphenyl fluorescein (HPF). ESR showed a significantly decreased signal magnitude, and fluorescence intensity by oxidized HPF was significantly less in the H2-dissolved solution. The effects of H2 in phacoemulsification were evaluated in rabbits, comparing H2-dissolved and control solutions. Five hours after the procedure, the whole cornea was excised and subjected to image analysis for corneal edema, real-time semiquantitative PCR (qPCR) for heme oxygenase (HO)-1, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), and SOD2 mRNA, and immunohistochemistry. Corneal edema was significantly less and the increases in anti-oxidative HO-1, CAT and SOD2 mRNA expressions were significantly suppressed in the H2 group. In addition, corneal endothelial cell expressions of two oxidative stress markers, 4-HNE and 8-OHdG, were significantly lower in the H2 group. In conclusion, H2 dissolved in the ocular irrigating solution protected corneal endothelial cells from phacoemulsification-induced oxidative stress and damage.