Hydrogen Protects Blood Vessel Cells from Sepsis-Related Damage
- Authors
- Naqi Lian, Xing Mao, Yanchao Su, Yanyan Wang, Yaoqi Wang, Yuzun Wang, Hongguang Chen, Ruqing Zhu, Yonghao Yu, Keliang Xie
- Journal
- International Immunopharmacology
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.108936
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Sepsis
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Hydrogen treatment helps protect blood vessel cells from damage caused by toxins associated with sepsis by maintaining healthy mitochondrial function.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich medium protected human blood vessel cells from bacterial toxin damage by preventing excessive mitochondrial fragmentation and restoring the cells' ability to produce energy, with these effects dependent on activation of a protective protein called HO-1.
Summary
This laboratory study examined how hydrogen-rich water affects human blood vessel cells exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial toxin that triggers sepsis (a life-threatening infection response). Researchers found that hydrogen-rich medium helped restore the cells' energy production and prevented abnormal changes in mitochondria (the cell's power plants), and this protection appeared to work through a protein called HO-1.
Practical Takeaway
While this cell-culture study suggests hydrogen may help protect blood vessel cells from sepsis-related damage, it is very early-stage research conducted in laboratory conditions only—not in animals or humans. Much more research would be needed before any conclusions about hydrogen water's usefulness in sepsis or related conditions could be drawn.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background: Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. It has been showed that the change of mitochondrial dynamics has been proved to be one of the main causes of death in patients with severe sepsis. And hydrogen has been proved…