Hydrogen Water Protects Pancreatic Cells from Diabetes-Causing Damage
- Authors
- Yuping Li, Tomohiro Nishimura, Kiichiro Teruya, Tei Maki, Takaaki Komatsu, Takeki Hamasaki, Taichi Kashiwagi, Shigeru Kabayama, Sun-Yup Shim, Yoshinori Katakura, Kazuhiro Osada, Takeshi Kawahara, Kazumichi Otsubo, Shinkatsu Morisawa, Yoshitoki Ishii, Zbigniew Gadek, Sanetaka Shirahata
- Journal
- Cytotechnology
- Year
- 2002
- DOI
- 10.1023/A:1023936421448
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Type 1 Diabetes
- Body System
- Endocrine System
TL;DR
Special types of water called "reduced water" can protect against cell damage that leads to type 1 diabetes by blocking harmful oxygen molecules.
Key Finding
Reduced water completely prevented reactive oxygen species generation from alloxan and increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by 2-4 fold in pancreatic beta cells grown in the laboratory.
Summary
This laboratory study tested whether reduced water (water treated to contain extra hydrogen) could protect pancreatic beta cells (the cells that make insulin) from damage caused by alloxan, a chemical that triggers type 1 diabetes in animals. Researchers found that reduced water prevented the harmful effects of alloxan by neutralizing reactive oxygen species (unstable molecules that damage cells), and it increased insulin production by 2-4 times compared to untreated cells.
Practical Takeaway
While this cell culture study suggests reduced water may protect insulin-producing cells from oxidative damage, it is very early-stage research conducted only in cells, not in animals or humans. Much more research would be needed to determine whether drinking hydrogen-rich water could actually help prevent or treat type 1 diabetes in people.
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause irreversible damage to biological macromolecules, resulting in many diseases. Reduced water (RW) such as hydrogen-rich electrolyzed reduced water and natural reduced waters like Hita Tenryosui water in Japan and Nordenau water in Germany that are known to improve various diseases, could protect a hamster pancreatic beta cell line, HIT-T15 from alloxan-induced cell damage. Alloxan, a diabetogenic compound, is used to induce type 1 diabetes mellitus in animals. Its diabetogenic effect is exerted via the production of ROS. Alloxan-treated HIT-T15 cells exhibited lowered viability, increased intracellular ROS levels, elevated cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentration, DNA fragmentation, decreased intracellular ATP levels and lowering of glucose-stimulated release of insulin. RW completely prevented the generation of alloxan-induced ROS, increase of cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration, decrease of intracellular ATP level, and lowering of glucose-stimulated insulin release, and strongly blocked DNA fragmentation, partially suppressing the lowering of viability of alloxan-treated cells. Intracellular ATP levels and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion were increased by RW to 2-3.5 times and 2-4 times, respectively, suggesting that RW enhances the glucose-sensitivity and glucose response of beta-cells. The protective activity of RW was stable at 4 degrees C for over a month, but was lost by autoclaving. These results suggest that RW protects pancreatic beta-cells from alloxan-induced cell damage by preventing alloxan-derived ROS generation. RW may be useful in preventing alloxan-induced type 1-diabetes mellitus.