Hydrogen Therapy Protects Eyes from Diabetes Damage in Rat Study
- Authors
- Yanqing Feng, Ruobing Wang, Jiajun Xu, Jingchuan Sun, Tao Xu, Qing Gu, Xingwei Wu
- Journal
- Current Eye Research
- Year
- 2013
- DOI
- 10.3109/02713683.2012.748919
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Body System
- Visual System
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline may help treat diabetic eye damage by reducing stress and preserving nerve function in rats.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline prevented vision loss and blood vessel damage in diabetic rats by reducing oxidative stress and boosting the retina's natural antioxidant defenses.
Summary
This study tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (salt water infused with hydrogen gas) could protect the eyes of rats with diabetes-induced damage. Researchers found that rats treated with hydrogen-rich saline showed improved vision function, better blood vessel integrity in the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye), reduced markers of cellular damage from oxidative stress (a harmful chemical process), and higher levels of protective antioxidant enzymes compared to untreated diabetic rats.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study showing hydrogen-rich saline may help protect against diabetic eye damage through antioxidant mechanisms. However, because this research was conducted only in rats and not in humans, it's too early to draw conclusions about whether hydrogen water would have similar protective effects in people with diabetes. Human clinical trials would be needed to determine safety and effectiveness.
Abstract
Purpose: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is characterized by increased oxidative and nitrosative stress, both of which lead to neurotoxicity and vascular permeability. Previous studies on a variety of organs indicate that hydrogen-rich saline not only has considerable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but also suppresses oxidative stress-induced injury. In the present study, we assessed the effects of hydrogen-rich saline on neurovascular dysfunction and oxidative stress in an animal model (rat) of DR. Materials and methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) were injected intraperitoneally with 5 ml/kg hydrogen-saturated (experimental) or plain (control) saline daily for one month. Visual function and blood-retinal barrier (BRB) integrity were evaluated by electroretinography (ERG) and bovine serum albumin (BSA)-fluorescence, respectively. Histological changes in the inner retina were assessed by light microscopy. Biomarkers of oxidative stress, including 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), and antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione transferase, were evaluated by ELISA. Synaptophysin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were measured by immunoblotting. Results: STZ-diabetic rats were marked by clearly reduced b-wave amplitudes and oscillatory potentials, DM-related BRB breakdown and histological changes in the inner retina, all of which were suppressed following treatment with hydrogen-rich saline. Furthermore, hydrogen-rich saline reduced oxidative stress, increased antioxidant enzyme activities and preserved synaptophysin and BDNF levels in the diabetic rat retina. Conclusions: Based on its inhibition of oxidative stress and up-regulation of anti-oxidative enzymes, we conclude that hydrogen-rich saline is a potentially valuable therapeutic modality for the treatment of DR.