Hydrogen Injections Show Promise for Type 2 Diabetes in Mice
- Authors
- Xiaolong Zhang, Jiaming Liu, Keke Jin, Haifeng Xu, Chuang Wang, Zhuang Zhang, Mimi Kong, Zhengzheng Zhang, Qingyi Wang, Fangyan Wang
- Journal
- Journal of Diabetes Investigation
- Year
- 2017
- DOI
- 10.1111/jdi.12674
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Body System
- Endocrine
TL;DR
Injecting hydrogen gas under the skin improved diabetes and related kidney disease in mice fed a high-fat diet and given a diabetes-inducing drug.
Key Finding
Subcutaneous hydrogen injection significantly lowered blood glucose and insulin levels, improved insulin sensitivity, and reduced kidney damage in mice with type 2 diabetes.
Summary
Researchers tested whether injecting hydrogen gas under the skin could help treat type 2 diabetes in mice. Mice with diabetes that received weekly hydrogen injections for four weeks showed improvements in blood sugar levels, insulin function, cholesterol levels, and kidney damage compared to untreated mice, without significant weight changes.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study showing promise for subcutaneous hydrogen injection as a diabetes treatment, but it has not been tested in humans. The findings are preliminary and cannot yet inform clinical recommendations for people with diabetes.
Abstract
AbstractAims/IntroductionIn previous studies, hydrogen gas (H2) administration has clearly shown effectiveness in inhibiting diabetes. Here, we evaluated whether subcutaneous injection of H2 shows enhanced efficacy against type 2 diabetes mellitus induced in mice by a high‐fat diet and low‐dose streptozotocin treatment.Material and MethodsH2 was injected subcutaneously at a dose of 1 mL/mouse/week for 4 weeks. Type 2 diabetes mellitus‐associated parameters were then evaluated to determine the effectiveness of subcutaneous H2 administration.ResultsThe bodyweight of H2‐treated mice did not change over the course of the experiment. Compared with the untreated control animals, glucose, insulin, low‐density lipoprotein and triglyceride levels in the serum were significantly lower in treated mice, whereas high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol in the serum was significantly higher. Glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were both improved in H2‐treated mice. Diabetic nephropathy analysis showed significant reductions in urine volume, urinary total protein and β2‐microglobulin, kidney/bodyweight ratio, and kidney fibrosis associated with subcutaneous injection of H2.ConclusionsSubcutaneous injection of H2 significantly improves type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy‐related outcomes in a mouse model, supporting further consideration of subcutaneous injection as a novel and effective route of clinical H2 administration.