Hydrogen Gas Protects Brain Cells from Stroke Damage in Lab Study
The Role of LincRNA-EPS/Sirt1/Autophagy Pathway in the Neuroprotection Process by Hydrogen against OGD/R-Induced Hippocampal HT22 Cells Injury
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System · Cardiovascular System
This research was done on cells or tissue in a lab, not in people or animals.
- Evidence type
- Laboratory study (cells or tissue)
- Authors
- Ya-Hong Li, Shun Zhang, Lu Tang, Jianguo Feng, Jing Jia, Ye Chen, Li Liu, Jun Zhou
- Journal
- Journal of Personalized Medicine
- Year
- 2023
- PMID
- 37109017
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Delivery
- Gas
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 6 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Hydrogen gas (H2) can protect brain cells from damage caused by stroke-like conditions, potentially through a specific pathway involving a long non-coding RNA and a protein that regulates cell survival and inflammation.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas protected brain cells from oxygen-glucose deprivation injury by activating a specific cellular pathway (lincRNA-EPS/Sirt1/autophagy) that reduced inflammation and cell death.
Summary
This laboratory study examined how hydrogen gas protects brain cells from injury caused by oxygen and blood flow loss (a condition that mimics stroke). Researchers treated cultured brain cells with hydrogen and found it reduced cell death, decreased inflammation, and prevented programmed cell death. The protection appeared to work through activation of specific cellular pathways involving a regulatory molecule called lincRNA-EPS.
Practical Takeaway
While this early laboratory study suggests hydrogen may have neuroprotective mechanisms against stroke-like injury, it was conducted only in cultured cells, not in living organisms or humans. Much more research, including animal studies and human trials, would be needed before any health claims could be made about hydrogen's effectiveness for stroke prevention or treatment.
Abstract (excerpt)
Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) injury causes high disability and mortality. Hydrogen (H2) enhances tolerance to an announced ischemic event; however, the therapeutic targets for the effective treatment of CI/R injury remain uncertain. Long non-coding RNA lincRNA-erythroid prosurvival (EPS)…