Hydrogen Saline Solution Protects Liver from Surgical Damage in Rats
- Authors
- Hannaneh Golshahi, Abbas Tavasoly, Seyed Hossein Mardjanmehr, Khosrou M. Abdi, Mohammad Mehdi Dehghan, Saeed Farzad Mohajeri
- Journal
- Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Pathology
- Year
- 2017
- DOI
- 10.24070/bjvp.1983-0246.v10i1p10-21
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Iran
- Health Condition
- Liver Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
- Body System
- Hepatic
TL;DR
Cooling the liver with a hydrogen-rich saline solution can protect it from damage during periods of low blood supply followed by restoration.
Key Finding
Cold hydrogen-rich saline solution reduced liver damage markers by over 50% and decreased inflammatory and cell-death signals in rats experiencing simulated surgical blood-flow interruption.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen-rich saline solution (salt water containing dissolved hydrogen) could protect rat livers from damage caused by temporarily cutting off blood flow and then restoring it—a common problem during liver surgery and transplantation. They found that cold hydrogen-rich saline administered directly into the liver before blood flow was restored significantly reduced tissue damage, inflammation, and cell death compared to regular saline or untreated controls.
Practical Takeaway
This rat study suggests hydrogen-rich saline may protect liver tissue during surgery or transplantation, but results from animal models do not directly translate to humans. Further research in larger animals and eventually human trials would be needed to determine if this approach is safe and effective in clinical practice.
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of intraportal administration of hypothermic hydrogen-rich saline solution (HRSS) on hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Thirty rats were divided equally into six groups; 1) sham, no I/R or transfusion, 2) I/R injury (60 minutes ischemia + 120 minutes reperfusion, 3) I/R injury + normal saline 24°C, 4) I/R injury + normal saline 4°C, 5) I/R injury + HRSS 24°C, 6) I/R injury + HRSS 4°C. In groups 3-6, 1 mg/kg normal saline (NS) and/or HRSS were administered into the vein of the left lateral and median lobes of the liver (upper the site of clumping) 10 minutes before finishing of ischemic period. The harvest time points were at 2 hours post reperfusion in all groups. Cell death, sinusoidal dilatation, congestion, hemorrhage, and neutrophil infiltration were observed in I/R group, while these histopathological changes were attenuated in the hypothermic HRSS administrated groups (P < 0.01). The level of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, malondialdehyde, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor a, and caspase-3 were increased significantly by I/R injury and hypothermic HRSS administration reduced all these markers (P < 0.01). SOD level was low in I/R group whereas it tended to increase in the hypothermic HRSS administrated groups (P < 0.01). The present study demonstrated that hypothermic hydrogen-rich saline solution effectively protected the hepatic tissue against cellular injury and organ dysfunction through the mechanisms that decrease the effect of oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis and necrosis.