Hydrogen Gas Protects Transplant Lungs from Damage in Rats
- Authors
- Chao Meng, Liangjuan Ma, Li Niu, Xiaoguang Cui, Jinfeng Liu, Jiyu Kang, Rongfang Liu, Jingchun Xing, Changlin Jiang, Huacheng Zhou
- Journal
- Life Sciences
- Year
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.lfs.2016.03.015
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
- Body System
- Respiratory
TL;DR
Inflating donor lungs with carbon monoxide or hydrogen gas before transplant can protect them from damage, and using both gases together works even better.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas inflation of donor lungs during cold storage reduced transplant-related injury in rats, with combined hydrogen and carbon monoxide treatment providing superior protection compared to either gas alone.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen gas could protect donor lungs from damage during the transplantation process in rats. They inflated lungs with hydrogen, carbon monoxide, or both gases before cold storage, then transplanted them and measured how well they functioned. Lungs treated with hydrogen showed better oxygen levels, improved lung function, and less inflammation and cell damage compared to untreated lungs. When hydrogen and carbon monoxide were combined, the protection was even stronger.
Practical Takeaway
This rat study suggests hydrogen may help protect organs during transplantation by reducing inflammation and oxidative damage. However, this is early-stage research in an animal model of a specialized medical procedure—it does not directly apply to hydrogen water consumption for general health. Much more research, including human studies, would be needed before any clinical applications in transplantation could be considered.
Abstract
Aims: Lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) may be attenuated through carbon monoxide (CO)'s anti-inflammatory effect or hydrogen (H2)'s anti-oxidant effect. In this study, the effects of lung inflation with CO, H2, or both during the cold ischemia phase on graft function were observed. Materials and methods: Rat donor lungs, inflated with 40% oxygen (control group), 500ppm CO (CO group), 3% H2 (H2 group) or 500ppm CO+3% H2 (COH group), were kept at 4°C for 180min. After transplantation, the recipients' artery blood gas and pressure-volume (P-V) curves were analyzed. The inflammatory response, oxidative stress and apoptosis in the recipients were assessed at 180min after reperfusion. Key findings: Oxygenation in the CO and H2 groups were improved compared with the control group. The CO and H2 groups also exhibited significantly improved P-V curves, reduced lung injury, and decreased inflammatory response, malonaldehyde content, and cell apoptosis in the grafts. Furthermore, the COH group experienced enhanced improvements in oxygenation, P-V curves, inflammatory response, lipid peroxidation, and graft apoptosis compared to the CO and H2 groups. Significance: Lung inflation with CO or H2 protected against IRI via anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic mechanisms in a model of lung transplantation in rats, which was enhanced by combined treatment with CO and H2.