Hydrogen Water Protects Kidneys from Antibiotic Damage in Rats
Protective effect of hydrogen-rich water against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats using blood oxygenation level-dependent MR imaging
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Taro MATSUSHITA, Yoshinori KUSAKABE, Akihiro KITAMURA, Sakie OKADA, Kenya MURASE
- Journal
- Magnetic Resonance in Medical Sciences
- Year
- 2011
- PMID
- 21959999
- Study Type
- Rat
- Participants
- 21
- Delivery
- Water (Dissolved)
- Dose
- free access to hydrogen-rich water for 7 days
- Duration
- 1 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 19 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water may protect against kidney damage caused by the antibiotic gentamicin, as shown by MRI scans that measure oxygen levels in the kidneys.
Key Finding
Rats given hydrogen-rich water maintained normal oxygen levels in their kidney cortex when exposed to gentamicin, while rats given regular water showed significant oxygen depletion in the same area.
Summary
This study tested whether hydrogen-rich water could protect rat kidneys from damage caused by gentamicin, an antibiotic. Researchers gave some rats gentamicin injections and either regular water or hydrogen-rich water, then used MRI scans to measure oxygen levels in the kidneys over 7 days. Rats that drank hydrogen-rich water maintained normal oxygen levels in their kidney cortex (outer layer), while rats drinking regular water showed decreased oxygen levels, suggesting the hydrogen-rich water may have protected against kidney damage.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study suggesting hydrogen-rich water may help protect kidneys from gentamicin-induced damage by preserving oxygen levels. However, this was only tested in rats over 7 days, so it's unclear whether these results would apply to humans or in real-world medical situations. Much more research, including human studies, would be needed before any therapeutic recommendations could be made.
Abstract (excerpt)
Purpose: We assessed intrarenal oxygenation in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity (GIN) and the protective effect of hydrogen-rich water (HW) against GIN using blood oxygenation level-dependent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Materials and methods: We acquired T(2)*-weighted images (T(2)*WI) of 21…