Hydrogen Water Plus Duloxetine Prevents Chemo Nerve Pain in Mice
- Authors
- Ignacio Martínez-Martel, Sylmara Esther Negrini-Ferrari, Olga Pol
- Journal
- Antioxidants
- Year
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.3390/antiox14081004
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Spain
- Health Condition
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Combining hydrogen-rich water with low-dose duloxetine helped prevent nerve pain, mood issues, and muscle problems caused by chemotherapy in mice.
Key Finding
In mice, combining duloxetine with hydrogen-rich water prevented cisplatin-induced nerve pain more effectively than either treatment given separately, with additional benefits for muscle function and emotional symptoms.
Summary
This study tested whether combining a medication called duloxetine with hydrogen-rich water could prevent nerve pain and mood problems in mice treated with cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug. In mice, the combination treatment prevented pain sensations and muscle weakness better than either treatment alone, and it also reduced anxiety and depression-like behaviors. The researchers believe the combination works by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress (cellular damage) in nerve tissue.
Practical Takeaway
This is early-stage research in mice only, so it cannot yet be applied to humans. While the results suggest that hydrogen-rich water combined with duloxetine may have promise for preventing chemotherapy-related nerve damage, human clinical trials would be needed to determine if this approach is safe and effective for cancer patients. Anyone undergoing chemotherapy should discuss prevention strategies with their oncologist rather than self-treating.
Abstract
Cisplatin (CIS)-induced peripheral neuropathy and associated comorbidities have a detrimental effect on the lives of cancer patients. Currently, there are no effective therapies to alleviate these symptoms. Duloxetine (DULO) is a recommended treatment, but it is linked with important side effects, thus making it essential to explore novel approaches. We examined the impact of a prophylactic treatment with a low dose of DULO combined with hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on CIS-injected C57BL/6 male and female mice as a possible therapy for allodynia, muscle and body weight deficits, and emotive syndromes accompanying this type of chemotherapy. The prophylactic treatment with DULO and HRW prevented mechanical allodynia caused by CIS in both sexes and had greater effects than either treatment given individually. The combined treatment also prevented cold allodynia in male mice but only reduced it in females. Moreover, the coadministration of DULO with HRW avoided muscular deficits in both sexes. Furthermore, the body weight reduction induced by CIS in both sexes was not entirely mitigated by the combined therapy. However, all treatments avoided the anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors elicited by CIS. The antiallodynic actions and prevention of muscular deficits produced by the combined treatment might be explained by the inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and plasticity alterations provoked by CIS in the dorsal root ganglia of these subjects. This study proposes, for the first time, the cotreatment of DULO with HRW as an effective therapy for CIS-induced peripheral neuropathy and reveals the influence of sex on these actions.