Hydrogen Saline Protects Lungs from Intestinal Surgery Damage in Rats
Hydrogen-rich saline reduces lung injury induced by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion in rats
Research hubs: Respiratory System · Digestive System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Yan-Fei Mao, Xing-Feng Zheng, Jian-Mei Cai, Xin-Min You, Xiao-Ming Deng, John H. Zhang, Lai Jiang, Xue-Jun Sun
- Journal
- Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
- Year
- 2009
- PMID
- 19249288
- Study Type
- Rat
- Participants
- 30
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Dose
- 5 ml/kg hydrogen-rich saline, i.v.
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 134 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Inhaling hydrogen-rich saline can help protect the lungs from damage caused by a temporary loss and restoration of blood flow to the intestines in rats.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline reduced lung injury in rats by decreasing inflammation and harmful free radicals (unstable molecules that damage cells) caused by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion.
Summary
Researchers gave rats hydrogen-rich saline (a salt solution containing dissolved hydrogen) to see if it could protect their lungs from damage caused by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion—a condition where blood flow to the intestines is blocked and then restored. Compared to rats that received regular saline, those treated with hydrogen-rich saline showed less lung inflammation, reduced harmful molecules in lung tissue, and lower levels of inflammatory chemicals.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study suggesting hydrogen-rich saline may help prevent lung damage from intestinal injury, but it was conducted only in rats and does not establish safety or effectiveness in humans. Much more research, including human trials, would be needed before any health applications could be considered.
Abstract (excerpt)
Hydrogen has been reported to selectively reduce the hydroxyl radical, the most cytotoxic of reactive oxygen species. In this study we investigated the effects of hydrogen-rich saline on the prevention of lung injury induced by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats…