Hydrogen-Rich Saline in Rats During Surgery
Hydrogen-rich saline attenuates ischemia–reperfusion injury in skeletal muscle
Research hubs: Musculoskeletal System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Tianlong Huang, Wangchun Wang, Chao Tu, Zhenyu Yang, Donald Bramwell, Xue-Jun Sun
- Journal
- Journal of Surgical Research
- Year
- 2014
- PMID
- 25588949
- Study Type
- Rat
- Participants
- 3
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Dose
- 1.0 mL/100 g hydrogen-rich saline intraperitoneally at 10 min before reperfusion
- Duration
- 1 day or less
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 39 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) appears to reduce damage and improve recovery in rat muscle tissue after a period of restricted blood flow followed by re-establishing circulation.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline significantly reduced muscle damage from ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by boosting antioxidant defenses and reducing markers of oxidative stress and cell death.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (a salt solution containing dissolved hydrogen gas) could protect rat muscle tissue from damage caused by temporarily cutting off blood flow and then restoring it. They blocked blood flow to rats' hind legs for 3 hours, then allowed blood to return for 4 hours, and gave some rats hydrogen-rich saline before the blood flow was restored. Rats receiving hydrogen-rich saline showed less muscle swelling, better antioxidant activity (the body's natural defense against harmful molecules), and less cell death compared to rats that received regular saline.
Practical Takeaway
This rat study suggests hydrogen-rich saline may help protect muscle tissue from damage caused by interrupted blood flow, a scenario relevant to surgery and trauma. However, these results are from animal studies only and have not been tested in humans, so it is too early to draw conclusions about potential benefits for people.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background: To investigate the potential beneficial effect of hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) in ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury of skeletal muscle. Methods: Three experimental groups were established in male Sprague-Dawley rats: (1) sham group, (2) IR with normal saline group, (3) and IR with HRS…