Medical Gases Show Promise for Protecting the Brain from Injury
- Authors
- Yue-Zhen Wang, Ting-Ting Li, Hong-Ling Cao, Wan-Chao Yang
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.4103/2045-9912.260649
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Scientists found that certain medical gases like hydrogen might help protect our brains from injury by reducing inflammation, but we need more careful testing in real patients before doctors can actually use them to treat brain injuries.
Key Finding
Hydrogen and other medical gases show promise for protecting brain tissue from injury through anti-inflammatory effects in animal models, but conflicting experimental results and safety concerns have prevented their use in human patients.
Summary
This review examined how medical gases—including hydrogen, helium, and others—might protect the brain from injury. Researchers found that these gases reduced inflammation (the body's harmful response to injury) in animal studies of various brain injuries like stroke and traumatic brain injury. However, the results from different studies were inconsistent, and safety information was unclear, so these treatments have not yet moved into regular medical practice.
Practical Takeaway
While hydrogen is among the medical gases showing neuroprotective potential in animal studies, this is a review of experimental research only—no human trials were conducted. Much more rigorous testing in humans would be needed before hydrogen could be considered a proven brain-protective treatment. Current evidence is too preliminary to support any health claims.
Abstract
Central nervous system injuries are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Although the exact pathophysiological mechanisms of various brain injuries vary, central nervous system injuries often result in an inflammatory response, and subsequently lead to brain damage. This suggests that neuroprotection may be necessany in the treatment of multiple disease models. The use of medical gases as neuroprotective agents has gained great attention in the medical field. Medical gases include common gases, such as oxygen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide; hydrogen sulphide and nitric oxide that have been considered toxic; volatile anesthetic gases, such as isoflurane and sevoflurane; and inert gases like helium, argon, and xenon. The neuroprotection from these medical gases has been investigated in experimental animal models of various types of brain injuries, such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury, and neurodegenerative diseases. Nevertheless, the transition into the clinical practice is still lagging. This delay could be attributed to the contradictory paradigms and the conflicting results that have been obtained from experimental models, as well as the presence of inconsistent reports regarding their safety. In this review, we summarize the potential mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of medical gases and discuss possible candidates that could improve the outcomes of brain injury.