Hydrogen Water Reduces Gut Inflammation in Ulcerative Colitis Study
Molecular hydrogen suppresses gut inflammation and pyroptosis in ulcerative colitis through promoting PKM2 lactylation to block NLRP3 inflammasome activation
Research hubs: Digestive System
- Authors
- Tao Yang, Futai Lu, Yumei Kang, Lei Wang, Man Li, Wenxue Xu, Sisi Bai, Yonghao Yu, Yang Shi, Hai Qin
- Journal
- International Immunopharmacology
- Year
- 2026
- PMID
- 42035551
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Delivery
- Medium (Dissolved)
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Molecular hydrogen reduced ulcerative colitis–like inflammation and tissue injury in cell and mouse models by promoting PKM2 lactylation, which restrained NLRP3 inflammasome activation, pyroptosis, and inflammatory cytokine release.
Key Finding
Molecular hydrogen reduced inflammation and cell damage in ulcerative colitis models by promoting a chemical modification of the PKM2 protein, which then blocked activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome—a key driver of gut inflammation.
Summary
This study investigated how molecular hydrogen might help treat ulcerative colitis (a chronic inflammatory bowel disease) by examining its effects on cells and mice. Researchers found that hydrogen-rich water and hydrogen-rich medium reduced inflammation, cell damage, and a type of cell death called pyroptosis by activating a protein called PKM2, which then blocked an inflammation-triggering system called the NLRP3 inflammasome.
Practical Takeaway
While this research identifies a promising mechanism by which hydrogen might help ulcerative colitis, the study was conducted only in laboratory cells and mice, not in humans. These early findings suggest hydrogen may warrant further investigation, but much more research—including human clinical trials—would be needed before any health recommendations could be made.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background: Molecular hydrogen is considered to be able to alleviate the progression of ulcerative colitis (UC), whose underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unclear. Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-stimulated human colonic epithelial cells (HCoEpiC) were used…