Lactulose Boosts Liver Healing in Rats by Making Hydrogen Gas
Lactulose accelerates liver regeneration in rats by inducing hydrogen
Research hubs: Digestive System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Jianhua Yu, Weiguang Zhang, Rongguo Zhang, Xinxian Ruan, Peitu Ren, Baochun Lu
- Journal
- Journal of Surgical Research
- Year
- 2015
- PMID
- 25700936
- Study Type
- Rat
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- Lactulose orally administered; hydrogen-rich saline as supplementary exogenous hydrogen
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 37 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Lactulose, a type of sugar, helps rat livers regenerate faster after surgery by producing hydrogen, which reduces damage and inflammation.
Key Finding
Lactulose administration accelerated liver regeneration in rats after partial hepatectomy by triggering the production of endogenous hydrogen, which reduced oxidative stress and excessive inflammation.
Summary
Researchers gave rats lactulose (a type of sugar) after removing 70% of their livers to see if it would help the remaining liver grow back faster. Lactulose gets broken down by gut bacteria to produce hydrogen gas, which has antioxidant (damage-fighting) and anti-inflammatory (swelling-reducing) properties. Rats that received lactulose showed faster liver regrowth, less liver damage markers in their blood, and lower levels of inflammatory chemicals compared to rats that didn't receive it.
Practical Takeaway
This rat study suggests that hydrogen produced from lactulose fermentation may support liver recovery after injury, but these results have not been tested in humans. The study was conducted only in animals, so it's unclear whether the same effects would occur in people or what the appropriate dose might be for human use.
Abstract (excerpt)
Oxidative stress and inflammation are implicated in the process of liver regeneration. Lactulose orally administered can be bacterially fermented and induces dramatic amounts of endogenous hydrogen. Hydrogen has been confirmed to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study…