Hydrogen Therapy Prevents Hearing Loss from Blood Flow Problems in Study
- Authors
- Hideo Ogawa, Masahiro Okada, Masachika Shudou, Kiyofumi Gyo, Naohito Hato
- Journal
- Neuroscience Letters
- Year
- 2017
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.12.013
- Study Type
- Gerbil
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Hearing Loss
- Body System
- Auditory
TL;DR
Injecting hydrogen-rich water into gerbils' veins helped protect their hearing from damage caused by a temporary lack of blood flow to the inner ear.
Key Finding
Intravenous hydrogen-rich saline reduced hearing loss by approximately 50% and inner ear cell damage by approximately 47% in gerbils recovering from temporary loss of blood flow to the cochlea.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen-rich saline could protect hearing in gerbils whose inner ear blood supply was temporarily cut off. When animals received hydrogen-rich saline after the blood flow was restored, they experienced significantly less hearing damage and fewer lost sensory cells in the inner ear compared to animals that received regular saline. The protective effect was strongest at higher sound frequencies.
Practical Takeaway
This animal study suggests hydrogen-rich saline may have protective effects against hearing loss caused by insufficient blood flow to the inner ear. However, this is early-stage research in gerbils only—human studies would be needed to determine if similar benefits apply to people. The findings are interesting but do not yet support any clinical recommendations.
Abstract
Objective: Hydrogen-rich water, which is a potent antioxidant agent, was investigated for its protective effects against ischemic damage of the cochlea in gerbils. Methods: The animals were subjected to transient cochlear ischemia by occluding the bilateral vertebral arteries for l5min. Five milliliters of hydrogen-rich saline was then intravenously administered immediately after the insult. Saline without hydrogen was used as a control. Effects of hydrogen were evaluated using the auditory brainstem response (ABR) and histological studies of the inner ear. Results: In non-ischemia animals, ABR thresholds and histological findings of the cochlea did not change by administration of saline or hydrogen-rich saline. In contrast, transient cochlear ischemia caused a 24.2±3.8dB increase in the ABR threshold at 8kHz, and a decrease of 14.1%±1.8% in the number of inner hair cells (IHCs) at the basal turn on day 7. Ischemic damage was more severe at 16 and 32kHz. When the animals were treated with hydrogen-rich saline, cochlear damage was significantly reduced: the increase in ABR threshold was 11.7±2.6dB at 8kHz and the IHC loss was 7.5%±2.1% at the basal turn on day 7. The effects of hydrogen-rich saline were more prominent at higher frequencies. Conclusions: Intravenous administration of hydrogen-rich saline was effective in preventing acute hearing loss due to transient cochlear ischemia.