Hydrogen Gas Protects Brain Function After Cardiac Arrest in Rats
- Authors
- Lei Huang, RichardL Applegate II, PatriciaM Applegate, Lei Gong, Umut Ocak, Warren Boling, JohnH Zhang
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.4103/2045-9912.266986
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- United States
- Health Condition
- Cardiac Arrest
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Breathing in a mixture of hydrogen gas could help improve memory and brain health in rats after they have had a cardiac arrest.
Key Finding
Rats that inhaled 67% hydrogen gas before and/or after cardiac arrest showed significantly improved spatial learning and reduced nerve cell death in the hippocampus compared to untreated rats.
Summary
Researchers tested whether inhaling high-concentration hydrogen gas could protect the brain after cardiac arrest in rats. They induced cardiac arrest in rats and gave some animals hydrogen gas either before the arrest, after resuscitation, or both. Two weeks later, rats that received hydrogen gas performed better on memory tests and showed less nerve cell damage in a brain region called the hippocampus compared to rats that didn't receive the gas.
Practical Takeaway
This early animal study suggests hydrogen gas inhalation may help protect brain function after cardiac arrest, but the findings are limited to rats and much more research—including human studies—would be needed before this could be considered a viable treatment for cardiac arrest survivors.
Abstract (excerpt)
Cognitive deficits are a devastating neurological outcome seen in survivors of cardiac arrest. We previously reported water electrolysis derived 67% hydrogen gas inhalation has some beneficial effects on short-term outcomes in a rat model of global brain hypoxia-ischemia induced by asphyxia cardiac…