Hydrogen Gas Protects Kidneys During Heart Surgery in Pigs
Molecular hydrogen: prospective treatment strategy of kidney damage after cardiac surgery
Research hubs: Cardiovascular System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (pig)
- Authors
- Barbora Kalocayova, Branislav Kura, Jana Vlkovicova, Denisa Snurikova, Norbert Vrbjar, Karel Frimmel, Vladan Hudec, Matej Ondrusek, Ivo Gasparovic, Rastislav Sramaty, Jaroslav Luptak, Michal Hulman, Tyler W. LeBaron, Jan Slezak
- Journal
- Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
- Year
- 2023
- PMID
- 37463517
- Study Type
- Pig
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 4% H2 mixed with air during inhalation of anesthesia and throughout oxygenation of blood in extracorporeal circulation
- H₂ concentration
- 4% H2 gas
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 4 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Slovakia
TL;DR
Inhaling hydrogen gas during and after pig heart surgery reduced signs of kidney injury.
Key Finding
Pigs that inhaled 4% hydrogen gas during cardiac surgery showed normalized kidney function markers and activation of antioxidant defense pathways, compared to pigs that did not receive hydrogen treatment.
Summary
Researchers tested whether inhaling molecular hydrogen gas could protect the kidneys of pigs undergoing heart surgery. During surgery, the pigs' kidneys showed signs of damage (elevated waste products in the blood). Pigs that received hydrogen gas during surgery showed improvement in these markers, and their kidney tissue showed activation of protective antioxidant systems (mechanisms that fight cellular damage from oxidative stress).
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study suggesting hydrogen gas may help protect kidneys during heart surgery by reducing oxidative stress. However, this was only tested in pigs, not humans, so it's unclear whether these results would apply to people. Much more research, including human trials, would be needed before hydrogen could be considered a treatment for surgery-related kidney injury.
Abstract (excerpt)
Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury is a common post-operative complication, mostly due to increasing oxidative stress. Recently, molecular hydrogen (H2 gas) has also been applied to cardiac surgery due to its ability to reduce oxidative stress. We evaluated the potential effect of H2…