Hydrogen Gas and Solution in Spinal Cord Injury in Rabbits
The combination of hydrogen gas and hydrogen-rich solution does not protect against ischemic spinal cord injury in rabbits
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rabbit)
- Authors
- Atsuo Yamashita, Takehiko Fukui, Satoshi Yamashita, Kazuyoshi Ishida, Mishiya Matsumoto
- Journal
- Journal of Anesthesia
- Year
- 2024
- PMID
- 38493423
- Study Type
- Rabbit
- Participants
- 26
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 1.2% H2 gas inhalation for 60 min starting 5 min before reperfusion; hydrogen-rich acetated Ringer's solution 20 mL/kg divided into six bolus injections at 10-min intervals starting 5 min before reperfusion; 2% H2 gas inhalation for 60 min
- H₂ concentration
- 1.2% H2 gas; 0.65 mM hydrogen-rich solution; 2% H2 gas
- Duration
- 1 weeks
- Outcome
- Neutral
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 0 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Inhaling hydrogen gas and injecting a hydrogen-rich solution did not prevent spinal cord damage from lack of blood flow in rabbits.
Key Finding
Neither hydrogen gas inhalation nor hydrogen-rich solution administration—alone or combined—protected rabbit spinal cords from ischemic injury, and the solution delivered minimal hydrogen to spinal cord tissue.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen gas (breathed in) and hydrogen-rich salt solution (injected) could protect rabbit spinal cords from damage caused by temporarily cutting off blood flow. Neither treatment alone nor the combination of both treatments reduced spinal cord injury compared to untreated rabbits. The hydrogen-rich solution delivered very little hydrogen to the spinal cord tissue compared to breathing hydrogen gas.
Practical Takeaway
This animal study suggests that hydrogen-rich solutions may not deliver enough hydrogen to spinal cord tissue to be effective, at least using the methods tested. However, this is a single rabbit study with a small sample size, so results may not apply to humans or to different hydrogen delivery approaches. More research would be needed before drawing conclusions about hydrogen water's potential for spinal cord injury.
Abstract (excerpt)
Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether the combination of H2 gas inhalation and administration of hydrogen-rich acetated Ringer's solution (HS) could protect against ischemic spinal cord injury in rabbits. Methods: In Experiment 1, rabbits were randomly assigned to a 1.2% H2 gas group, HS…