Hydrogen Therapy Improves Skin Healing After Severe Injury in Rats
Hydrogen-rich saline reduces tissue injury and improves skin flap survival on a rat hindlimb degloving injury model
Research hubs: Skin & Dermatology System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- 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
- PMID
- 33451944
- Study Type
- Rat
- Participants
- 21
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Dose
- 10 ml/kg intraperitoneal hydrogen-rich saline postoperatively and daily for 5 days
- Duration
- 5 days
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 2 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Turkey
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 (excerpt)
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…