Hydrogen Therapy Protects Intestines from Ischemia-Reperfusion Damage
- Authors
- Han Chen, Yan Ping Sun, Ping Fang Hu, Wen Wu Liu, Hong Gang Xiang, Yang Li, Rong Lin Yan, Ning Su, Can Ping Ruan, Xue Jun Sun, Qiang Wang
- Journal
- Journal of Surgical Research
- Year
- 2011
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jss.2009.07.045
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
- Body System
- Gastrointestinal
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline helps protect the intestines from damage and dysfunction caused by temporary loss and restoration of blood flow.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline significantly reduced intestinal damage from ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by decreasing oxidative stress, reducing cell death, and promoting intestinal cell growth and muscle function.
Summary
Researchers studied whether hydrogen-rich saline (a salt solution containing dissolved hydrogen) could protect rat intestines from damage caused by temporarily cutting off blood flow and then restoring it. They found that hydrogen-rich saline reduced intestinal damage, decreased cell death, promoted the growth of new intestinal cells, and restored the intestine's ability to contract normally compared to rats that received regular saline.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage rat study suggesting hydrogen may have protective effects against intestinal damage from lack of blood flow. However, these results cannot yet be applied to humans—much more research, including human trials, would be needed to determine if hydrogen water or hydrogen-rich saline could help people with similar conditions.
Abstract
Background: Hydrogen has been considered as a novel antioxidant that prevents injuries resulted from ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in various tissues. The study was designed to determine the effect of hydrogen-rich saline on the smooth muscle contractile response to KCl, and on epithelial proliferation and apoptosis of intestine subjected to I/R. Methods: Intestinal I/R injury was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats using bulldog clamps in superior mesenteric artery by 45 min ischemia followed by 1 h reperfusion. Rats were divided randomly into four groups: sham-operated, I/R, I/R plus saline treatment, and I/R plus hydrogen-rich saline treatment groups. Hydrogen-rich saline (>0.6 mM, 6 mL/kg) or saline (6 mL/kg) was administered, respectively, via tail vein 30 min prior to reperfusion. Following reperfusion, segments of terminal jejunum were rapidly taken and transferred into isolated organ bath and responses to KCl were recorded. Samples of terminal jejunum were also taken for measuring malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase. Apoptosis in intestinal epithelium was determined with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling technique (TUNEL). Expression and distribution of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were detected with immunohistochemistry. Results: Hydrogen-rich saline treatment significantly attenuated the severity of intestinal I/R injury, with inhibiting of I/R-induced apoptosis, and promoting enterocytes proliferation. Moreover, Hydrogen-rich saline treatment significantly limited the neutrophil infiltration, lipid oxidation, and ameliorated the decreased contractility response to KCl in the intestine subjected to I/R. Conclusions: These results suggest that hydrogen treatment has a protective effect against intestinal contractile dysfunction and damage induced by intestinal I/R. This protective effect is possibly due to its ability to inhibit I/R-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis, and to promote epithelial cell proliferation.