Hydrogen Saline Protects Lungs from Oxygen Damage in Rats
- Authors
- Qiang Sun, Jianmei Cai, Shulin Liu, Yun Liu, Weigang Xu, Hengyi Tao, Xue-Jun Sun
- Journal
- Journal of Surgical Research
- Year
- 2011
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jss.2010.09.024
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Acute Lung Injury
- Body System
- Respiratory
TL;DR
Breathing in too much oxygen can damage rat lungs, but injecting them with saline containing hydrogen can protect against this damage.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline protected rat lungs from acute injury caused by excessive oxygen exposure by reducing oxidative stress (cellular damage from reactive molecules), suppressing inflammation, and preventing cell death.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (salt water containing dissolved hydrogen) could protect rat lungs from damage caused by exposure to too much oxygen. They injected rats with either regular saline, hydrogen-rich saline, or nitrogen-rich saline, then exposed them to high oxygen levels. The hydrogen-rich saline treatment reduced lung damage, swelling, and cell death, and lowered inflammatory markers (immune signals that indicate inflammation) compared to the other treatments.
Practical Takeaway
This is an animal study in rats, so results cannot be directly applied to humans yet. The findings suggest hydrogen may have protective properties against oxygen-related lung injury, but human clinical trials would be needed to determine if hydrogen water or hydrogen-rich saline could help people exposed to high oxygen levels in medical settings.
Abstract
Hydrogen has been proven to be a novel antioxidant through its selectively reducing of the hydroxyl radical. In this study, we investigated the effects of hydrogen-rich saline on the prevention of acute lung injury induced by hyperoxia (HALI) in rats. Physiologic saline, hydrogen-rich saline, or nitrogen-rich saline was administered through intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection during exposure to hyperoxia (10 mL/Kg), respectively. Severity of HALI was assessed by the volume of pleural effusion, wet-to-dry weight ratio (W/D), and histologic analysis. Apoptosis in lung cells was determined with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive staining. The content of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin IL-1b and TNF-a in the lung tissues were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hydrogen-rich saline treatment provides protection against HALI by inhibiting lipid, DNA oxidation, and tissue edema. Moreover, hydrogen-rich saline treatment could inhibit apoptosis and inflammation while no significant reduction was observed in nitrogen-rich saline treated animals. The results of this study demonstrate that hydrogen-rich saline ameliorated hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury by reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory cascades in lung tissue.