Hydrogen Water May Help Protect Against Early Menopause in Rat Study
- Authors
- Xiaoyin Meng, Shuai Zhang, Lu Zhao, Yingmei Wang
- Journal
- PeerJ
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.7717/peerj.15564
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Premature Ovarian Failure
- Body System
- Reproductive
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water (HRW) may help to reduce the effects of premature ovarian failure (POF) in rats by improving hormone levels and ovarian health.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water treatment restored hormone balance in rats with premature ovarian failure, increasing anti-mullerian hormone and estradiol while decreasing follicle-stimulating hormone, and identified RT1-Db1 and RT1-Bb as key molecular targets of this effect.
Summary
Researchers tested hydrogen-rich water on rats with premature ovarian failure (early loss of ovarian function) induced by a chemotherapy drug. The treatment improved hormone levels associated with ovarian health and reduced damage to ovarian tissue. The study used advanced protein analysis to identify two specific molecular targets (RT1-Db1 and RT1-Bb) through which hydrogen-rich water appeared to work.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study that suggests hydrogen-rich water may have protective effects on ovarian function, but it was conducted only in rats with chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure—not in women with naturally occurring premature ovarian failure. Much more research, including human trials, would be needed before any conclusions could be drawn about potential benefits for women. The specific molecular targets identified may help guide future research but do not yet translate to clinical recommendations.
Abstract
Background: Premature ovarian failure (POF) is defined as the cessation of ovarian function before the age of 40 years, imposing a significant health burden on patients. However, effective etiological therapy for POF is scarce. Thus, we aimed to explore the protective role and targets of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) in POF. Methods: Based on cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced POF rat models, the protective role of HRW treatment was mainly determined through serum 17-β-estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) levels, ovarian histomorphological analysis, and TUNEL assay. Tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomic analysis was then conducted on ovarian tissues, and the targets of HRW in POF were identified integrating differential expression analysis, functional enrichment analysis, and interaction analysis. Results: In HRW treatment of POF rats, the serum AMH and E2 levels significantly increased, and FSH level significantly reduced, indicating the protective role of HRW. After TMT quantitative proteomic analysis, a total of 16 candidate differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified after the cross analysis of DEPs from POF vs. control and POF+HRW vs. POF groups, which were found to be significantly enriched in 296 GO terms and 36 KEGG pathways. The crucial targets, RT1-Db1 and RT1-Bb, were finally identified based on both protein-protein interaction network and GeneMANIA network. Conclusions: The HRW treatment could significantly alleviate the ovarian injury of POF rats; RT1-Db1 and RT1-Bb are identified as two crucial targets of HRW treatment in POF rats.