Hydrogen Therapy Protects Newborn Brain from Oxygen Loss Damage
- Authors
- Xuemei Bai, Song Liu, Lin Yuan, Yunkai Xie, Tong Li, Lingxiao Wang, Xueer Wang, Tiantian Zhang, Shucun Qin, Guohau Song, Li Ge, Zhen Wang
- Journal
- Brain Research
- Year
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.06.020
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline can help protect the brains of newborn mice from damage caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow by reducing stress in cells and promoting the cell's cleanup processes.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline significantly reduced brain swelling and infarct volume (the area of dead brain tissue) in newborn mice with oxygen-deprivation brain injury, with protection appearing to work through reduced cellular stress and enhanced cellular cleanup mechanisms.
Summary
This study tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (a salt solution containing dissolved hydrogen gas) could protect newborn mouse brains from damage caused by lack of oxygen and blood flow. The researchers found that the treatment reduced brain swelling and the size of damaged areas, and they identified two biological processes that may explain how it works: it reduced stress in a cellular structure called the endoplasmic reticulum, and it activated a cellular cleanup process called autophagy.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study in newborn mice, so it cannot yet tell us whether hydrogen-rich saline would help human infants with birth-related brain injury. While the results are promising and suggest a potential mechanism of action, human clinical trials would be needed before any therapeutic claims could be made. The findings may warrant further research into hydrogen as a treatment for neonatal brain injury.
Abstract
Hydrogen as a new medical gas exerts organ-protective effects through regulating oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. Multiple lines of evidence reveal the protective effects of hydrogen in various models of brain injury. However, the exact mechanism underlying this protective effect of hydrogen against hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) is not fully understood. The present study was designed to investigate whether hydrogen-rich saline (HS) attenuates HIBD in neonatal mice and whether the observed protection is associated with reduced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and regulated autophagy. The results showed that HS treatment significantly improved brain edema and decreased infarct volume. Furthermore, HS significantly attenuated HIBD-induced ER stress responses, including the decreased expression of glucose-regulated protein 78, C/EBP homologous protein, and down-regulated transcription factor. Additionally, we demonstrated that HS induced autophagy, including increased LC3B and Beclin-1 expression and decreased phosphorylation of mTOR and Stat3, as well as phosphorylation of ERK. Taken together, HS exerts neuroprotection against HIBD in neonatal mouse, mediated in part by reducing ER stress and increasing autophagy machinery.