Hydrogen Therapy Reduces Asthma Airway Damage in Mice Study
- Authors
- M. Xiao, T. Zhu, T. Wang, F.Q. Wen
- Journal
- European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences
- Year
- 2013
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Asthma
- Body System
- Respiratory
TL;DR
Breathing in hydrogen-rich saline can help reduce lung inflammation and damage in mice with asthma-like conditions.
Key Finding
In asthmatic mice, hydrogen-rich saline reduced airway inflammation, mucus production, and structural remodeling by suppressing NF-κB activation and decreasing inflammatory proteins.
Summary
Researchers gave mice with asthma either regular saline or saline containing dissolved hydrogen gas to see if hydrogen could reduce airway inflammation and damage. Hydrogen-rich saline reduced inflammatory cells and proteins in the lungs, decreased mucus production and collagen buildup in airways, and lowered activity of a protein called NF-κB that drives inflammation. These improvements increased with higher doses of hydrogen-rich saline.
Practical Takeaway
This study provides early evidence that hydrogen-rich saline may help reduce asthma-related airway changes, but it was conducted only in mice. Much more research—including human trials—would be needed before any conclusions could be drawn about whether hydrogen water might benefit people with asthma.
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that hydrogen has great therapeutic and prophylactic potential against organ injury caused by oxidative stress and inflammation. Here we investigated the effect of hydrogen-rich saline on airway inflammation and remodeling in a murine model of asthma. Asthma was induced by ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and challenge. Then mice were treated with normal saline or hydrogen-rich saline at low and high doses. Cell counts and cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined, bronchial tissue was analyzed for pathology, and expression of MUC5AC, collagen III, VEGF, and total and phosphorylated NF-κB p65 was measured. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify levels and localization of VEGF expression in lung. The results showed that hydrogen-rich saline reduced cell counts and levels of cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and TNF-α in BALF. Hydrogen-rich saline treatment also significantly decreased mucus index, collagen deposition, and expression of MUC5AC, collagen III and VEGF. The ratio of phospho-NF-κB p65 to total NF-κB p65 was much lower in mice treated with hydrogen-rich saline than in untreated mice. These effects of hydrogen-rich saline on airway inflammation and remodeling were dose-dependent. These findings suggest that hydrogen-rich saline reduces airway inflammation and remodeling in OVA-exposed mice by inhibiting NF-κB.