Hydrogen Gas Protects Skin from Radiation Damage in Rats
Protective effect of inhalation of hydrogen gas on radiation-induced dermatitis and skin injury in rats
Research hubs: Skin & Dermatology System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- S. Watanabe, M. Fujita, M. Ishihara, S. Tachibana, Y. Yamamoto, T. Kaji, T. Kawauchi, Y. Kanatani
- Journal
- Journal of Radiation Research
- Year
- 2014
- PMID
- 25034733
- Study Type
- Rat
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 2 h inhalation of hydrogen-containing gas (1.3% hydrogen + 20.8% oxygen + 77.9% nitrogen)
- H₂ concentration
- 1.3% hydrogen
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 55 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Breathing in a hydrogen-containing gas before being exposed to radiation can lessen skin damage and speed up wound healing in rats.
Key Finding
In rats, inhaling hydrogen-containing gas before X-ray radiation significantly reduced the severity of radiation-induced skin damage and accelerated wound healing compared to controls.
Summary
Researchers exposed rats to high-dose X-ray radiation to their skin, then tested whether breathing a gas mixture containing 1.3% hydrogen could reduce radiation damage. Rats that breathed the hydrogen-containing gas before radiation exposure developed less severe skin inflammation and their wounds healed faster than rats that did not receive the gas. The protective effect was stronger when hydrogen was given before radiation rather than after.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study suggesting hydrogen gas inhalation may help protect skin from radiation damage, but it was conducted only in rats and did not test human subjects. Much more research, including human trials, would be needed before any conclusions could be drawn about whether this approach might benefit cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.
Abstract (excerpt)
The effect of inhalation of hydrogen-containing gas (1.3% hydrogen + 20.8% oxygen + 77.9% nitrogen) (HCG) on radiation-induced dermatitis and on the healing of healing-impaired skin wounds in rats was examined using a rat model of radiation-induced skin injury. An X-ray dose of 20 Gy was irradiated…