Hydrogen Therapy Protects Against Intestinal Damage in Rats
- Authors
- Hayrunnisa Oral, Zafer Türkyılmaz, Ramazan Karabulut, Cem Kaya, Duygu Dayanır, Cengiz Karakaya, Kaan Sonmez
- Journal
- Journal of Investigative Surgery
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1080/08941939.2022.2056273
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Turkey
- Health Condition
- Intestinal Volvulus
- Body System
- Digestive
TL;DR
Treating rats with hydrogen-rich saline solution (HRSS) reduces intestinal damage caused by twisted intestines and the subsequent restoration of blood flow.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline reduced tissue oxidative stress markers and intestinal damage in rats with surgically-induced intestinal twisting and blood flow restoration, whether given before the injury or just before surgical correction.
Summary
Researchers studied whether hydrogen-rich saline solution could protect rat intestines from damage caused by twisting (volvulus) and the subsequent loss and restoration of blood flow (ischemia-reperfusion injury). They created intestinal twisting in rats, then either gave them hydrogen-rich saline or regular saline before or after surgical correction. Rats receiving hydrogen-rich saline showed less tissue damage and lower markers of cellular stress (oxidative damage) compared to untreated rats, suggesting hydrogen-rich saline may help prevent intestinal injury during this type of surgery.
Practical Takeaway
This rat study provides early evidence that hydrogen-rich saline may help protect intestinal tissue during ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, this is animal research only and much more work—including human studies—would be needed before any clinical use could be considered. The findings are preliminary and should not be interpreted as proven benefits for humans.
Abstract
Background: Intestinal volvulus can cause morbidity and mortality. Surgical reduction, on the other hand, could result in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Hydrogen rich saline solution (HRSS neutralizes free radicals in the body. This study aimed to investigate the effects of HRSS in I/R injury in experimental intestinal volvulus in rats. Methods: Thirty rats were randomly allocated into 5 groups. All procedures were done under general anesthesia and sterile conditions in each animal. Five ml/kg of saline and HRSS were administered intraperitoneally (ip) in Sham (Group 1) and HRSS (Group 2) groups, respectively. Groups 3, 4, and 5 constituted the study groups in which volvulus was created in a 5-cm- long ileal segment 2 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve. After 2 hours the volvuli were reduced and following 2 hours of reperfusion, these segments were removed. In volvulus-I/R group (Group 3) no additional procedure was done. HRSS was administered shortly before reperfusion (reduction of the volvulus) in Treatment I (Group 4) and 1 h before experimental volvulus in Treatment II (Group 5) groups. Blood and intestinal tissue samples were obtained from all rats at the 4th hour. Both tissue and blood total oxidant (TOS) and antioxidant status (TAS) levels were determined and tissue histomorphologies were studied. Oxidative stress indices (TOS ÷ TAS) (OSI) were calculated. Results: Tissue TOS and OSI levels and histomorphological injury scores were statistically lower in treatment groups than I/R group, whereas blood TOS and OSI levels were similar between the groups. Conclusions: This study provides biochemical and histomorphological evidence that HRSS prevents intestinal damage in I/R injury caused by volvulus.