Hydrogen-Rich Saline and Hearing Loss from Blood Flow in Gerbils
Prevention of ischemia-induced hearing loss by intravenous administration of hydrogen-rich saline in gerbil
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (gerbil)
- Authors
- Hideo Ogawa, Masahiro Okada, Masachika Shudou, Kiyofumi Gyo, Naohito Hato
- Journal
- Neuroscience Letters
- Year
- 2017
- PMID
- 29223865
- Study Type
- Gerbil
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Dose
- 5 milliliters of hydrogen-rich saline intravenously administered immediately after ischemic insult
- Duration
- 1 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 15 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
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 (excerpt)
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…