Hydrogen Gas Protects Skin from Radiation Damage During Cancer Treatment
- Authors
- Deng-Yu Kuo, Yu-Chi Wang, Pei-Han Chou, Chen-Wei Lai, Fu-I Tung, Tse-Ying Liu
- Journal
- Antioxidants
- Year
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.3390/antiox13121475
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Taiwan
- Health Condition
- Radiation Dermatitis
- Body System
- Integumentary
TL;DR
Hydrogen gas can help protect the skin from damage and inflammation caused by radiation therapy.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas and transdermal hydrogen application reduced radiation-induced skin damage in laboratory and animal models by decreasing DNA breaks, cell death, and inflammatory responses.
Summary
Radiation dermatitis is a common skin injury that occurs in cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. This study tested whether hydrogen molecules could protect skin cells from radiation damage. Researchers found that hydrogen reduced DNA damage, cell death, and inflammation in both laboratory-grown skin cells and in animal skin exposed to radiation, suggesting it may help prevent or reduce radiation dermatitis.
Practical Takeaway
While these early laboratory and animal results are promising, this study does not yet demonstrate that hydrogen would work in human patients receiving radiation therapy. Human clinical trials would be needed to determine whether hydrogen gas or topical hydrogen treatments could actually prevent radiation dermatitis in cancer patients.
Abstract
Radiation dermatitis (RD) is a common side effect in patients receiving radiotherapy. Currently, clinical skincare approaches for acute RD vary widely among institutions and lack consensus. Hydrogen molecules, acting as radioprotective agents by selectively scavenging free radicals, have the potential to protect against RD. In this study, we demonstrate that hydrogen reduces double-strand breaks, mitochondrial depolarization, and inflammatory cytokines induced by irradiation damage in HaCaT cells. Furthermore, in vivo experiments reveal that exposing irradiated skin areas to a hydrogen gas environment alleviates RD. Assessment of skin appearance grade and histology staining revealed that direct transdermal application of hydrogen can prevent radiation-induced follicle damage, dermal thickening, and leukocyte infiltration, thereby reducing the severity of RD. In addition, hydrogen enhances the skin's antioxidant capacity, leading to a reduction in the Bcl-2-associated X protein/B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bax/Bcl-2) ratio, the number of apoptotic cells, and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Our data demonstrate that hydrogen possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties, and could be a preventive strategy for RD.