Hydrogen Water Baths Protect Skin from UV Damage in Mice Study
- Authors
- Rosa Mistica Ignacio, Yang-Suk Yoon, Ma. Easter Joy Sajo, Cheol-Su Kim, Dong-Heui Kim, Soo-Ki Kim, Kyu-Jae Lee
- Journal
- Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
- Year
- 2013
- DOI
- 10.1007/s13273-013-0003-6
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- South Korea
- Health Condition
- UV-Induced Skin Damage
- Body System
- Integumentary System
TL;DR
Bathing in hydrogen-rich water (HRW) can significantly reduce skin damage caused by UVB radiation, commonly associated with increased skin cancer risk.
Key Finding
In mice exposed to UVB radiation, bathing in hydrogen-enriched water reduced skin damage and inflammatory markers while increasing antioxidant enzyme activity compared to control mice.
Summary
Researchers exposed hairless mice to UVB radiation (a type of sun damage) and then had some mice bathe in hydrogen-enriched water while others did not. Mice that bathed in hydrogen water showed less skin damage, higher levels of protective antioxidant enzymes, and lower levels of inflammatory molecules compared to control mice. The study suggests that bathing in hydrogen water may help protect skin from UV radiation damage.
Practical Takeaway
This early-stage animal study suggests hydrogen water bathing may have protective effects against UV-induced skin damage, but it was conducted only in mice—not humans. Much more research, including human trials, would be needed before drawing any conclusions about whether this approach could benefit human skin health.
Abstract
Exposure to UVB radiation induced skin damage that results to increase risk of skin cancer. Despite the clinical importance of skin-induced damage, antioxidants imposed limited therapeutic success. Hydrogen molecule (H2) has been known as a safe antioxidant in the prevention and therapeutic approach towards several diseases. Drinking hydrogen reduced water (HRW), inhalation of hydrogen gas, and injecting H2-dissolved saline are widely accepted to incorporate H2 in the body. However, there is no document about the beneficial effect of hydrogen water bath. Here, we investigated the effect of hydrogen bathing on the UVB-induced skin damage in hairless mice. For this, mice of the bathing group are allowed to freely swim on HRW, and let the HRW penetrate for 60 mins. Scoring of skin injury, reactive oxygen species (ROS) enzyme activity quantification, cytokine analysis, and ultrastructural change of corneocytes were measured after exposure to UVB radiation of 360–540 mJ/cm2. In summary, the bathing with HRW significantly reduced the levels of skin damage, as well as increased activity of glutathione peroxidase. Further, the effect of HRW on cytokine network in the skin after UVB exposure revealed that HRW significantly decreased the level of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ. Finally, scanning electron microscopy data revealed low number of defected corneocytes and ultrastructural changes, suggesting that HRW bathing would protect UV-induced cell damage.