Hydrogen Therapy Protects Spinal Cord from Injury in Animal Study
- Authors
- Murat Kayabaş, Levent Şahin, Mustafa Makav, Duried Alwazeer, Levent Aras, Serdar Yiğit, Tyler W. LeBaron
- Journal
- Pharmaceuticals
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.3390/ph16040527
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Turkey
- Health Condition
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) reduces inflammation and cell death in rats with spinal cord injuries.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline reduced inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF-α) and decreased cell death in rat spinal cord tissue after injury.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (a salt solution containing dissolved hydrogen) could protect rat spinal cords from injury. After injuring the spinal cords of rats, they gave some animals hydrogen-rich saline injections for a week. The treated rats showed lower levels of inflammatory chemicals (IL-6 and TNF-α) in their blood and less cell death in the damaged spinal tissue compared to injured rats that received no treatment.
Practical Takeaway
This is early-stage animal research showing hydrogen-rich saline may have protective effects on spinal cord damage. However, this study was conducted only in rats, so results cannot be directly applied to humans. Much more research, including human trials, would be needed before any health recommendations could be made.
Abstract (excerpt)
The anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of molecular hydrogen, delivered as hydrogen-rich saline (HRS), on spinal cord injury was investigated. Four-month-old male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 24) were classified into four groups: (1) control-laminectomy only at T7-T10; (2) spinal injury-dura…