Hydrogen Therapy Helps Stem Cells Repair Muscle Damage
- Authors
- Yu-Xia Yang, Wen-Yong Fei, Ming-Sheng Liu, Yu-Cheng Zhang, Rang-Shan Gao, Yang-Yang Hu, Er-Kai Pang, Lei Hou
- Journal
- Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.2174/1574888X17666220926115240
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Skeletal Muscle Injury
- Body System
- Musculoskeletal
TL;DR
Hydrogen gas (H2) can help fat-derived stem cells survive better and turn into muscle cells more efficiently by protecting them from oxidative stress.
Key Finding
Molecular hydrogen gas reduced harmful oxidative stress in fat-derived stem cells' mitochondria and enhanced their ability to transform into muscle cells in laboratory conditions.
Summary
This laboratory study tested whether molecular hydrogen (H2 gas) could help stem cells from fat tissue survive better and transform into muscle cells. Researchers exposed these cells to hydrogen in a dish and measured various markers of cell health and function. They found that hydrogen reduced harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species in the cells' mitochondria (the energy-producing structures), increased the number of mitochondria, and triggered a cleanup process called mitophagy, all of which improved cell survival and muscle cell development.
Practical Takeaway
This is early laboratory research in cell cultures, not human studies, so it's too preliminary to draw conclusions about hydrogen water's effects on muscle injury or regeneration in people. The findings suggest hydrogen may have protective effects on cells at the mitochondrial level, but much more research—including animal and human studies—would be needed before any therapeutic applications could be considered.
Abstract
Background: Acute skeletal muscle injuries are common physical or sports traumas. Cellular therapy has excellent potential for regeneration after skeletal muscle injury. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are a more accessible type of stem cell. However, it has a low survival rate and differentiation efficiency in the oxidative stress-rich microenvironment after transplantation. Although molecular hydrogen (H2) possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant biological properties, its utility in mitochondrial and stem cell research has not been adequately explored. Objective: Revealing the role of H2 on Adipose-derived stem cells myogenic differentiation. Methods: The protective effects of H2 in ADSCs were evaluated by MTT assay, live-dead cell staining, western blot analysis, immunofluorescence staining, confocal imaging, and transmission electron microscopy. Results: An appropriate volume fraction of H2 significantly decreased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, increased the number of mitochondria, and promoted mitophagy, thus enhancing the survival and myogenic differentiation of ADSCs. Conclusion: This study reveals the application potential of H2 in skeletal muscle diseases or other pathologies related to mitochondrial dysfunction.