Hydrogen Gas Protects Liver During Surgery in Animal Study
Hydrogen protects against liver injury during CO2 pneumoperitoneum in rats
Research hubs: Oxidative Stress · Digestive System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Mingzi Chen, Lihong Jiang, Yue Li, Ge Bai, Jinghua Zhao, Ming Zhang, Jiantao Zhang
- Journal
- Oncotarget
- Year
- 2017
- PMID
- 29416797
- Study Type
- Rat
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 0.2 mL/kg subcutaneous injection
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 12 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Hydrogen gas injections can protect the liver from damage caused by the buildup of carbon dioxide during certain surgical procedures.
Key Finding
Subcutaneous hydrogen gas injection reduced liver injury markers and improved liver function in rats exposed to CO2 pneumoperitoneum, primarily by reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.
Summary
This rat study tested whether hydrogen gas could protect the liver from injury caused by carbon dioxide inflation during laparoscopic surgery. Researchers injected hydrogen gas under the skin of rats before exposing them to CO2 inflation in the abdomen for 90 minutes. Compared to rats that received CO2 without hydrogen, the hydrogen-treated rats showed better liver function, less oxidative stress (cellular damage from unstable molecules), reduced cell death, and less inflammation.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study showing hydrogen gas may protect liver tissue during a specific surgical procedure. However, the findings are limited to rats, and it remains unclear whether these results would apply to humans or whether hydrogen water (a different delivery method) would have similar effects. Human clinical trials would be needed before any recommendations could be made for surgical patients.
Abstract (excerpt)
The aim of the current study was to identify the protective effect of hydrogen gas against liver injury during CO2 pneumoperitoneum. Rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group (C group), pneumoperitoneum group (P15 group) and hydrogen group (H2 group). Rats in the C group were…