Hydrogen Gas + Cooling Therapy Helps Newborns Recover from Brain Injury
- Authors
- Yinmon Htun, Shinji Nakamura, Yasuhiro Nakao, Tsutomu Mitsuie, Makoto Nakamura, Satoshi Yamato, Wataru Jinnai, Kosuke Koyano, Kenichi Ohta, Aya Morimoto, Takayuki Wakabayashi, Masashiro Sugino, Kazumichi Fujioka, Ikuko Kato, Sonoko Kondo, Saneyuki Yasuda, Takanori Miki, Masaki Ueno, Takashi Kusaka
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41598-019-40674-8
- Study Type
- Pig
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Adding molecular hydrogen to the standard cooling treatment for newborns with brain damage due to lack of oxygen improves their recovery and brain health.
Key Finding
Newborn piglets treated with both therapeutic cooling and hydrogen gas ventilation showed better neurological recovery and less brain cell death compared to cooling alone.
Summary
Researchers tested whether adding hydrogen gas to the current standard treatment (cooling) for newborn brain injury could improve outcomes. They used newborn piglets with induced brain injury and compared three groups: untreated injury, injury treated with cooling alone, and injury treated with cooling plus hydrogen gas breathing. Piglets receiving both cooling and hydrogen recovered better neurologically over five days and showed less brain cell death on examination.
Practical Takeaway
This early-stage animal study suggests that hydrogen gas combined with cooling may enhance treatment for newborn brain injury, but the findings are from piglets only and much more research—including human trials—would be needed before any clinical application. The results are promising enough to warrant further investigation but should not be interpreted as evidence that hydrogen water or hydrogen treatments are currently effective for this condition in humans.
Abstract (excerpt)
Despite its poor outcomes, therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is the current standard treatment for neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE). In this study, due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties, the effectiveness of molecular hydrogen (H2) combined with TH was…