Hydrogen Water Fights Bacterial Infections in Fish Study
- Authors
- Zhenyu Hu, Bingqian Wu, Fanhong Meng, Zejian Zhou, Hui Lu, Heng Zhao
- Journal
- Fish & Shellfish Immunology
- Year
- 2017
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.fsi.2017.05.066
- Study Type
- Zebrafish
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Bacterial Infections
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water helped zebrafish survive better and fight off infection when exposed to harmful bacteria.
Key Finding
Zebrafish treated with hydrogen-rich water showed significantly improved survival rates when infected with harmful bacteria, along with reduced bacterial growth and altered immune responses favoring anti-inflammatory activity.
Summary
Researchers exposed zebrafish (a common research fish) to a harmful bacteria and then treated some with hydrogen-rich water. The fish that received hydrogen-rich water had better survival rates and showed less bacterial growth. The treatment also changed how the fish's immune system responded—it reduced inflammatory signals (chemical messengers that cause swelling and damage) while boosting protective immune responses.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage study in fish, not humans, so its relevance to human health is unclear. The results suggest hydrogen may have antimicrobial and immune-balancing properties, but much more research—including human studies—would be needed before drawing any conclusions about benefits for people. The study does not provide information about dosage, duration, or safety in any organism.
Abstract
Recently, molecular hydrogen has been reported to have a suppressive effect on inflammation in human and rodent models. The aim of this study was to evaluate the preventive effects of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on zebrafish challenged by A. hydrophila. We have found an increased survival rate of bacteria-challenged zebrafish subjected to the HRW immersion treatment. Furthermore, we have revealed that HRW was able to block multiplication of A. hydrophila in zebrafish. In addition, treatment of zebrafish infected by A. hydrophila with effective concentrations of HRW strongly affected the expression of genes mediating pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. There were down-regulation of selected pro-inflammatory immune response genes (IL-1β, IL-6, and NF-κB), and up-regulation of the anti-inflammatory cytokine gene (IL-10) in the spleen, kidney, and liver. This study is the first one to investigate the effects of HRW on fish infected with bacteria, and might shed new light on hydrogen's antimicrobial effects and further application in aquaculture fish species.