Hydrogen Therapy Protects Brain During Heart Surgery in Rats
Hydrogen-Rich Saline is Cerebroprotective in a Rat Model of Deep Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System · Cardiovascular System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Li Shen, Jun Wang, Kun Liu, Chunzhang Wang, Changtian Wang, Haiwei Wu, Qiang Sun, Xuejun Sun, Hua Jing
- Journal
- Neurochemical Research
- Year
- 2011
- PMID
- 21512745
- Study Type
- Rat
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 34 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Inhaling hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) can significantly reduce brain damage caused by deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA), a technique used in certain surgeries.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline significantly reduced brain injury in rats undergoing deep hypothermic circulatory arrest by decreasing oxidative stress, inflammatory molecules, and cell death pathways.
Summary
This study tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (a salt solution containing dissolved hydrogen) could protect the brain during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA), a surgical procedure that stops blood flow and cools the body to protect organs during complex heart and brain surgeries). In rats undergoing DHCA, hydrogen-rich saline reduced brain damage, decreased harmful inflammatory molecules and cell death markers, and improved antioxidant activity compared to untreated animals.
Practical Takeaway
While this rat study suggests hydrogen may have protective effects on the brain during surgical procedures involving circulatory arrest, it is a preliminary animal-only study and does not demonstrate safety or effectiveness in humans. Any potential clinical application would require human trials before hydrogen-rich saline could be considered for this purpose.
Abstract (excerpt)
Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) has been widely used in the operations involving the aortic arch and brain aneurysm since 1950s; but prolonged DHCA contributes significantly to neurological deficit which remains a major cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality. It has been reported…