Hydrogen Injections Show Promise for Type 2 Diabetes in Mice
Subcutaneous injection of hydrogen gas is a novel effective treatment for type 2 diabetes
Research hubs: Type 2 Diabetes · Metabolic Syndrome · Endocrine System · Cardiovascular System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- 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
- PMID
- 28390099
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 1 mL/mouse/week for 4 weeks via subcutaneous injection
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 32 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
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 (excerpt)
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…