Hydrogen Therapy Protects Elderly Kidneys from Surgical Damage
Protective effects of hydrogen-rich saline against renal ischemia-reperfusion injury by increased expression of heme oxygenase-1 in aged rats
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Xianlin Xu, Xiaozhou He, Jipu Liu, Jiandi Qin, Jianan Ye, Min Fan
- Journal
- International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology
- Year
- 2019
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Acute Kidney Injury
- Body System
- Renal
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline helps protect the kidneys from damage caused by temporary loss and restoration of blood flow in aged rats.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline reduced kidney damage and improved kidney function in aged rats experiencing ischemia-reperfusion injury by decreasing oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules) and increasing expression of a protective protein called heme oxygenase-1.
Summary
This study tested whether hydrogen-rich saline could protect kidney function in aged rats that experienced a temporary loss of blood flow followed by blood flow restoration (a condition called ischemia-reperfusion injury). Researchers found that hydrogen-rich saline reduced markers of cellular damage, improved kidney function measurements, and activated protective proteins in the kidney compared to regular saline.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study in rats, so results cannot yet be applied to humans. The findings suggest hydrogen-rich saline may have potential to protect kidneys during ischemic events, but human clinical trials would be needed to determine if this benefit translates to elderly patients undergoing procedures that restrict kidney blood flow.
Abstract (excerpt)
Objective: Oxygen free radicals (ROS) are considered to be one of the important factors involved in the pathophysiology of aged renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Hydrogen gas has been reported to alleviate I/R injury by scavenging free radicals. The aim of this study was to evaluate…