Hydrogen Saline Protects Against Diabetic Nerve Damage in Rats
- Authors
- Yang Jiao, Yang Yu, Bo Li, Xiyan Gu, Keliang Xie, Guolin Wang, Yong-Hao Yu
- Journal
- Molecular Medicine Reports
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.3892/mmr.2019.10795
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline (HS) was found to effectively reduce symptoms of diabetic nerve damage in rats by targeting certain cellular pathways and reducing harmful inflammation and cell stress.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline significantly reduced nerve damage and related cellular damage in diabetic rats, with effects that were partially dependent on activation of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels.
Summary
This study tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (a salt water solution containing dissolved hydrogen gas) could protect rats from nerve damage caused by diabetes. Researchers gave diabetic rats hydrogen-rich saline for 4 weeks and found it reduced nerve damage symptoms and markers of cellular stress, inflammation, and cell death. The protective effect appeared to work by activating special channels in mitochondria (the energy-producing parts of cells) that help regulate blood sugar.
Practical Takeaway
This is early-stage animal research showing hydrogen-rich saline may help protect against diabetic nerve damage through a specific cellular mechanism. However, this was only tested in rats, not humans, so it's unclear whether these results would apply to people with diabetes. More research, including human studies, would be needed before drawing any conclusions about its usefulness for treating diabetic neuropathy.
Abstract
It has previously been demonstrated that hyperglycemia‑induced oxidative stress and inflammation are closely associated with the development of diabetic complications, including diabetic neuropathy. Additionally, mitochondrial ATP‑sensitive potassium (Mito‑K‑ATP) channels play a homeostatic role on blood glucose regulation in organisms. Molecular hydrogen (H2) exhibits anti‑inflammatory, anti‑antioxidative and anti‑apoptotic properties and can be used to treat more than 71 diseases safely. In addition, the diabetes animal models which are set up using streptozotocin (STZ) injection, is a type of high long‑term stability, low animal mortality rate and security method. The aim of the current study was to assess the value of hydrogen‑rich saline (HS) in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) treatment and to determine its associated mechanisms in STZ‑induced diabetic experimental rats. Additionally, the effects of the Mito‑K‑ATP channels, oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines and apoptosis on DPN were also evaluated. From week 5 of STZ injections, HS (2.5, 5 and 10 ml/kg) was injected into the rat abdominal cavity every day for a period of 4 weeks. The results of the current study demonstrated that HS significantly reduced behavioral, biochemical and molecular effects caused by DPN. However, 5‑hydroxydecanoate, a selective Mito‑K‑ATP channels general pathway inhibitor, partially eliminated the therapeutic effect of HS on DPN. These results indicated that the use of HS may be a novel strategy to treat DPN by activating the Mito‑K‑ATP pathway and reducing oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines and apoptosis.