Hydrogen Therapy Protects Against Age-Related Damage in Mice Study
- Authors
- Boyan Liu, Yunbo Xie, Jun Chen, Junli Xue, Xiaoyi Zhang, Min Zhao, Xiubin Jia, Yiwei Wang, Shucun Qin
- Journal
- Journal of Inflammation Research
- Year
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.2147/JIR.S332286
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Age-Related Oxidative Stress
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Breathing in hydrogen gas, drinking hydrogen-rich water, or getting hydrogen-rich saline injections can all help reduce signs of aging in mice by fighting oxidative stress, a damaging cellular process.
Key Finding
Molecular hydrogen reduced oxidative stress and improved aging-related biomarkers in mice across multiple organs (liver, brain, and heart), regardless of whether it was delivered by inhalation, drinking, or injection.
Summary
Researchers tested whether molecular hydrogen (H2), a gas with antioxidant properties, could protect mice from aging-related damage caused by D-galactose. They gave hydrogen to mice in three different ways: breathing it in as a gas, drinking hydrogen-enriched water, or receiving hydrogen-enriched saline injections. Hydrogen improved several aging markers in the blood and reduced oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules) in the liver, brain, and heart, with inhalation appearing slightly more effective than the other methods.
Practical Takeaway
This mouse study suggests hydrogen may help protect against age-related oxidative damage, but it is early-stage research in animals only. Before any conclusions can be drawn about benefits for humans, clinical trials in people would be needed. The finding that different delivery methods worked comparably is interesting for future research design, but does not yet translate to practical recommendations for consumers.
Abstract
Background: Molecular hydrogen (H2) has been recognized as an effective antioxidant with no or little side effects. While it is known that oxidative stress is closely associated with aging, the beneficial effect of H2 on oxidative stress-related aging is still unclear. In this study, a mouse model of D-galactose-induced aging was employed to investigate the protective effects of H2. Methods: The mice were administrated of H2 via different routes (4% H2 inhalation, H2-rich water drinking, and H2-rich saline injection), the aging-related biomarkers in plasma and the oxidative stress in different tissues were measured. Results: The results showed that H2 improved aging-related biomarkers, ie, total antioxidant capacity, advanced glycation end products, tumor necrosis factor-α, free fatty acids, and alanine aminotransferase in plasma. Furthermore, H2 alleviated oxidative stress in the liver, brain, and heart by reducing the levels of lipid peroxidation and malondialdehyde and increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase. In addition, it seems that 4% H2 inhalation was the most effective regarding the amount of H2 taken up and in reducing the markers of oxidative stress in some of the tissues; however, the other routes of administration resulted in the same efficacy in most indicators. Conclusion: H2 can prevent oxidative stress in D-galactose-induced aging mice when administered by different routes.