Hydrogen Water Improves Gut Health and Reduces Colitis in Mice
- Authors
- Li Ge, Jie Qi, Bo Shao, Zhenzhen Ruan, Yueran Ren, Shujing Sui, Xinpei Wu, Xueqiang Sun, Shuman Liu, Sha Li, Changqing Xu, Wengang Song
- Journal
- Gut Microbes
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1080/19490976.2021.2013764
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Colitis
- Body System
- Digestive
TL;DR
Treating mice with hydrogen-rich saline improved symptoms of colitis by boosting beneficial gut bacteria and strengthening the gut barrier.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline reduced colitis in mice by increasing beneficial bacteria and short-chain fatty acid production, while simultaneously strengthening the intestinal barrier through increased tight junction proteins.
Summary
Researchers gave mice with colitis (intestinal inflammation) hydrogen-rich saline and found it reduced inflammation and improved gut health. The hydrogen appeared to work by changing the balance of bacteria in the gut, increasing beneficial bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids (fatty acids made by gut bacteria), and strengthening the intestinal barrier—the protective lining that keeps harmful substances from entering the bloodstream.
Practical Takeaway
This mouse study suggests hydrogen may help with colitis through gut bacteria changes, but it's early-stage research in animals only. Human studies would be needed to determine if hydrogen water or saline could have similar effects in people with inflammatory bowel disease.
Abstract
With the rapid development and high therapeutic efficiency and biosafety of gas-involving theranostics, hydrogen medicine has been particularly outstanding because hydrogen gas (H2), a microbial-derived gas, has potent anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory activities in many disease models. Studies have suggested that H2-enriched saline/water alleviates colitis in murine models; however, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Despite evidence demonstrating the importance of the microbial hydrogen economy, which reflects the balance between H2-producing (hydrogenogenic) and H2-utilizing (hydrogenotrophic) microbes in maintaining colonic mucosal ecosystems, minimal efforts have been exerted to manipulate relevant H2-microbe interactions for colonic health. Consistent with previous studies, we found that administration of hydrogen-rich saline (HS) ameliorated dextran sulfate sodium-induced acute colitis in a mouse model. Furthermore, we demonstrated that HS administration can increase the abundance of intestinal-specific short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria and SCFA production, thereby activating the intracellular butyrate sensor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ signaling and decreasing the epithelial expression of Nos2, consequently promoting the recovery of the colonic anaerobic environment. Our results also indicated that HS administration ameliorated disrupted intestinal barrier functions by modulating specific mucosa-associated mucolytic bacteria, leading to substantial inhibition of opportunistic pathogenic Escherichia coli expansion as well as a significant increase in the expression of interepithelial tight junction proteins and a decrease in intestinal barrier permeability in mice with colitis. Exogenous H2 reprograms colonocyte metabolism by regulating the H2-gut microbiota-SCFAs axis and strengthens the intestinal barrier by modulating specific mucosa-associated mucolytic bacteria, wherein improved microbial hydrogen economy alleviates colitis.