Hydrogen Gas and Lung Injury in Sepsis in Mice
Itraq-Based Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Lungs in Murine Polymicrobial Sepsis with Hydrogen Gas Treatment
Research hubs: Respiratory System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- Authors
- Yingxue Bian, Chao Qin, Yuchang Xin, Yang Yu, Hongguang Chen, Guolin Wang, Keliang Xie, Yonghao Yu
- Journal
- Shock
- Year
- 2018
- PMID
- 28632510
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 2% H2 inhaled for 1 hour at 1 and 6 hours after CLP or sham operation
- H₂ concentration
- 2% H2 gas
- Duration
- 1 day or less
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 20 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Breathing in hydrogen gas improved survival and reduced lung damage in mice with sepsis, potentially by affecting proteins related to muscle function, oxygen use, and blood clotting.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas inhalation improved survival rates and reduced bacterial burden in septic mice while decreasing lung injury through changes in 192 different proteins involved in oxygen transport, blood clotting, and cell communication.
Summary
Researchers studied whether inhaling hydrogen gas could help mice with sepsis (a severe infection that damages the lungs). They found that mice given hydrogen gas had better survival rates, fewer bacteria in their blood and lungs, and less lung damage than untreated mice. By analyzing thousands of proteins in the lungs, the researchers identified specific molecular changes that may explain how hydrogen gas protects against sepsis-related lung injury.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study showing hydrogen gas may help protect lungs during severe infection, but it was only tested in mice. Much more research, including human trials, would be needed before any conclusions could be drawn about hydrogen gas as a sepsis treatment in people.
Abstract (excerpt)
Sepsis-associated acute lung injury (ALI), which carries a high morbidity and mortality in patients, has no effective therapeutic strategies to date. Our group has already reported that hydrogen gas (H2) exerts a protective effect against sepsis in mice. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying…