Hydrogen Therapy Improves Skin Healing After Severe Injury in Rats
- Authors
- Ayca Ergan Sahin, Aysin Karasoy Yesilada, Ozben Yalcin, Eray M. Guler, Harun Erbek, Damla Karabıyık
- Journal
- Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.bjps.2020.12.045
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Turkey
- Health Condition
- Degloving Injuries
- Body System
- Integumentary
TL;DR
Injecting a hydrogen-rich saline solution helps rat skin heal better after severe injury by reducing damage and inflammation, and promoting blood vessel growth.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline reduced inflammation, swelling, and oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules) while improving blood vessel formation in rat skin flaps recovering from degloving injuries.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (a salt solution containing dissolved hydrogen gas) could help skin flaps survive after a degloving injury (where skin is stripped away from underlying tissue) in rats. They compared three groups: untreated rats, rats given regular saline, and rats given hydrogen-rich saline after the injury was repaired. The hydrogen-rich saline group showed less inflammation and swelling, lower markers of cellular damage, and better blood vessel growth compared to the other groups.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study suggesting hydrogen-rich saline may help tissue survive after severe injury by reducing inflammation and oxidative damage. However, this was only tested in rats, not humans, so it's unclear whether these results would apply to people or whether the treatment would be practical in clinical settings. More research, including human studies, would be needed before any therapeutic use.
Abstract
Background: Degloving injuries represent a challenge in plastic surgery. The aim of this study is to acknowledge the protective effects of hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) solution on a rat hindlimb degloved skin flap. Methods: Twenty-one Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups (control, saline and HRS). Degloving injury model was established, and flaps were sutured back following 5 min of ischemia. The control group did not receive any treatment. The saline group received intraperitoneal physiological saline (10 ml/kg) and the HRS group received intraperitoneal HRS solution (10 ml/kg) postoperatively and daily for 5 days after the operation. Skin samples were obtained for histological, immunohistochemical and biochemical evaluations. Results: Inflammation was lower in the HRS compared with saline (p = 0.02) and control (p = 0.004) groups. Edema was lower in the HRS compared with saline (p = 0.02) and control (p = 0.001) groups. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was lower in the HRS than the control group (p = 0.01). Total antioxidant level was higher in the HRS compared with saline (p = 0.009) and control (p = 0.03) groups. Total oxidant level was lower in the HRS than the control group (p = 0.02). Oxidative stress index was lower in the HRS compared with saline (p = 0.001) and control (p = 0.0001) groups'. Vascular proliferation was higher in the HRS compared with the control group (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Repeated HRS injections after trauma increased the viability of skin flap in rat degloving injury model by decreasing local tissue injury, due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and angiogenic effects.