How Inhaled Hydrogen Gas Moves Through the Body in Pigs

Summary by Hydrogen Studies Editorial Team · Updated

Authors
Journal
PLoS One
Year
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0234626
Study Type
Pig
Outcome
Neutral
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Country
Japan
Health Condition
Whole Body
Body System
Respiratory

TL;DR

Scientists have discovered how hydrogen gas moves and breaks down in the body after being inhaled by using a new method in pigs.

Key Finding

Inhaled hydrogen gas is rapidly absorbed through the lungs into arterial blood within seconds, with peak concentrations dropping to very low levels within 3 minutes, but then redistributing to venous blood and tissues where it persists for at least 60 minutes.

Summary

Researchers used pigs to study what happens when hydrogen gas is inhaled into the lungs. They filled the lungs with pure hydrogen gas and then tracked where it went in the body by measuring hydrogen levels in blood samples taken from different blood vessels over 60 minutes. The hydrogen was quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, peaked immediately after inhalation, and then spread throughout the body, with some hydrogen still detectable in certain blood vessels an hour later.

Practical Takeaway

This is an animal study (in pigs) that maps out the basic path hydrogen gas takes through the body after inhalation—useful foundational information for researchers. However, pig physiology differs from human physiology, and this study does not measure any health effects or benefits. Much more research, including human studies, would be needed to understand whether inhaled hydrogen has practical health applications.

Abstract (excerpt)

The benefits of inhaling hydrogen gas (H2) have been widely reported but its pharmacokinetics have not yet been sufficiently analyzed. We developed a new experimental system in pigs to closely evaluate the process by which H2 is absorbed in the lungs, enters the bloodstream, and is distributed…

Read the full abstract via DOI