Hydrogen in Lab Cell Studies on Vessel Inflammation
Hydrogen-Rich Medium Attenuated Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Monocyte-Endothelial Cell Adhesion and Vascular Endothelial Permeability via Rho-Associated Coiled-Coil Protein Kinase
Research hubs: Cardiovascular System
This research was done on cells or tissue in a lab, not in people or animals.
- Evidence type
- Laboratory study (cells or tissue)
- Authors
- Ke-Liang Xie, Weina Wang, Hongguang Chen, Huanzhi Han, Daquan Liu, Guolin Wang, Yong-Hao Yu
- Journal
- Shock
- Year
- 2015
- PMID
- 25895142
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Delivery
- Medium (Dissolved)
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 23 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich solutions can reduce inflammation and improve the stability of blood vessel walls in sepsis by decreasing the activity of a specific protein involved in cell adhesion.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich medium reduced immune cell adhesion to inflamed blood vessel cells and decreased vascular leakage by lowering ROCK protein expression in laboratory cell cultures.
Summary
This laboratory study examined how hydrogen-rich water affects blood vessel cells that were inflamed using a bacterial toxin. Researchers found that hydrogen-rich medium reduced the ability of immune cells (monocytes and neutrophils) to stick to blood vessel walls and decreased leakage across the vessel lining. The effect appeared to work by reducing a protein called ROCK that normally controls how tightly cells are connected to each other.
Practical Takeaway
While these results are promising, this was a cell culture study (not in humans or animals), so it's too early to draw conclusions about hydrogen water's effects on sepsis or vascular inflammation in people. Early evidence suggests hydrogen may help protect blood vessel function during inflammation, but human studies would be needed to determine if hydrogen water has any practical benefit.
Abstract (excerpt)
Sepsis is the leading cause of death in critically ill patients. In recent years, molecular hydrogen, as an effective free radical scavenger, has been shown a selective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, and it is beneficial in the treatment of sepsis. Rho-associated coiled-coil protein…