Hydrogen Saline Protects Heart from Damage After Heart Attack in Rats
Pharmacological Postconditioning with Lactic Acid and Hydrogen Rich Saline Alleviates Myocardial Reperfusion Injury in Rats
Research hubs: Cardiovascular System
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Guoming Zhang, Song Gao, Xiaoyan Li, Lulu Zhang, Hong Tan, Lin Xu, Yaoyu Chen, Yongjian Geng, Yanliang Lin, Benjamin Aertker, Yuanyuan Sun
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Year
- 2015
- DOI
- 10.1038/srep09858
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Myocardial Infarction
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
TL;DR
A combination of lactic acid and hydrogen-rich saline may protect the heart after a blockage in a similar way to mechanical techniques.
Key Finding
In rats, a combination of lactic acid and hydrogen-rich saline provided heart protection comparable to mechanical postconditioning, reducing heart tissue damage and cell death after simulated heart attack and blood flow restoration.
Summary
Researchers tested whether a combination of lactic acid and hydrogen-rich saline could protect rat hearts from damage that occurs when blood flow is restored after a heart attack. They compared this chemical treatment to a mechanical technique already known to help. The combination treatment reduced heart damage and cell death to a similar degree as the mechanical approach, and it lowered harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species.
Practical Takeaway
While this early animal study suggests hydrogen-rich saline combined with lactic acid may have cardioprotective potential, these results are from rats only and have not been tested in humans. Much more research would be needed before any conclusions could be drawn about benefits for human heart health.
Abstract (excerpt)
This study investigated whether pharmacological postconditioning with lactic acid and hydrogen rich saline can provide benefits similar to that of mechanical postconditioning. To our knowledge, this is the first therapeutic study to investigate the co-administration of lactic acid and hydrogen. SD…