Hydrogen Water Protects Heart from Damage During Heart Attack Recovery
- Authors
- Liangtong Li, Tongtong Liu, Xiangzi Li, Xuanchen Liu, Li Liu, Shaochun Li, Zhilin Li, Yujuan Zhou, Fulin Liu
- Journal
- International Journal of Medical Sciences
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.7150/ijms.35984
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Drinking hydrogen-rich water may help protect the heart from damage during a heart attack by affecting 25 specific proteins and several biological processes.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water treatment reduced the expression of 25 proteins involved in heart damage from restricted blood flow and reperfusion in rat hearts.
Summary
Researchers gave rats hydrogen-rich water during a procedure that temporarily restricted blood flow to the heart and then restored it—a condition called ischemia-reperfusion injury. They compared protein levels in heart tissue between rats that received hydrogen-rich water and a control group. The hydrogen-rich water group showed decreased expression of 25 proteins involved in heart damage, and these proteins are connected to immune responses and blood vessel formation.
Practical Takeaway
This rat study provides early molecular-level evidence that hydrogen-rich water may protect heart tissue during ischemia-reperfusion injury, but human studies are needed to determine whether these findings apply to people. The study identifies potential biological mechanisms but does not yet establish whether hydrogen water would be effective or safe as a clinical treatment.
Abstract
Background: The differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) involved in the effect of hydrogen-rich water on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MIRI) and their biological processes and signaling pathway were analyzed. Methods: 20 Wistar rats were randomly and equally divided into a control and a hydrogen-rich group. Hearts were removed and fixed in a Langendorff device. The control group was perfused with K-R solution, and the hydrogen-rich water group was perfused with K-R solution + hydrogen-rich water. Protein was extracted from the ventricular tissues, and GSR-CAA-67 was used to identify the DEPs between two groups. DEPs were analyzed through bioinformatic methods. Results: Compared with the control group, in the treatment group, the expression of 25 proteins was obviously decreased (P<0.05). For the DEPs, 359 biological processes, including the regulation of signaling pathways, immune reaction and formation of cardiovascular endothelial cells, were selected by GO enrichment analysis. Five signaling pathways were selected by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Conclusions: 25 proteins that are involved in hydrogen-water reducing MIRI were selected by high-throughput GSR-CAA-67. The biological processes and metabolic pathways involved in the DEPs were summarized, providing theoretical evidence for the clinical application of hydrogen-rich water.