Hydrogen Therapy Reduces Nerve Pain by Repairing Cell Cleanup Process
Hydrogen-Rich Saline Activated Autophagy via HIF-1<i>α</i> Pathways in Neuropathic Pain Model
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Huixing Wang, Xiaodong Huo, Hongguang Chen, Bo Li, Jingzhi Liu, Wenting Ma, Xiaojuan Wang, Keliang Xie, Yonghao Yu, Kemei Shi
- Journal
- BioMed Research International
- Year
- 2018
- DOI
- 10.1155/2018/4670834
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Neuropathic Pain
- Body System
- Nervous System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) may help reduce chronic nerve pain by boosting the cell's waste disposal system through a specific cellular pathway.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline reduced nerve pain in rats by activating cellular autophagy (a cleanup process inside cells) through the HIF-1α molecular pathway in the spinal cord.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen-rich saline could reduce nerve pain in rats with a specific type of injury-induced chronic pain. They found that hydrogen-rich saline reduced pain sensitivity and activated autophagy (a cellular cleanup process) in the spinal cord through a specific molecular pathway called HIF-1α. When they blocked this pathway, the pain-relieving effects disappeared, suggesting this mechanism is important for how hydrogen-rich saline works.
Practical Takeaway
This animal study suggests hydrogen-rich saline may help with nerve pain by triggering a cellular repair process, but it was conducted only in rats and does not yet indicate whether this would work in humans. Much more research, including human trials, would be needed before any health claims could be made.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background Neuropathic pain is a chronic and intractable pain, with very few effective analgesics. It involves an impaired cell autophagy process. Hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) reportedly reduces allodynia and hyperalgesia in a neuropathic pain model; however, it is unknown whether these effects…