Hydrogen Water Protects Brain Function in Liver Disease Study
- Authors
- Xujiao Wang, Xiao Liu, Peng Zhou, Jianguo Feng, Jing Jia, Bingqing Xie, Ye Chen, Jun Zhou
- Journal
- Nature Scientific Reports
- Year
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41598-025-02891-2
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Hepatic Encephalopathy
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Drinking water enriched with hydrogen gas may help improve brain function and reduce damage in rats with a liver-related brain disorder.
Key Finding
In rats with liver-induced brain disease, hydrogen-rich water reduced blood ammonia levels, decreased brain inflammation and oxidative stress, and prevented brain cell death.
Summary
Researchers gave rats a chemical that damages the liver and causes hepatic encephalopathy (a brain condition that develops when the liver fails). They then treated some rats with hydrogen-rich water and found that it improved the rats' behavior, reduced ammonia levels in their blood, and reduced damage to both liver and brain tissue. The protective effects appeared to work by reducing harmful molecules (oxidative stress), decreasing inflammation, and preventing brain cell death.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage rat study, so results cannot yet be applied to humans with hepatic encephalopathy. The findings suggest hydrogen-rich water may have protective effects through multiple biological pathways, but clinical trials in humans would be needed to determine if these benefits translate to actual therapeutic use in patients with liver disease.
Abstract
Hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a neuropsychiatric complication secondary to liver cirrhosis and hepatic failure, represents the leading cause of mortality in end-stage liver disease. While hyperammonemia remains the central pathogenic factor in HE progression, emerging evidence implicates oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neuronal apoptosis as critical synergistic contributors to HE pathogenesis. Hydrogen-rich water, known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties, has not been systematically investigated for therapeutic efficacy in HE management. In the current investigation, we successfully established a HE rat model by administering thioacetamide via intraperitoneal injection. By observing the general state and behavioral changes of the rats, detecting liver function and blood ammonia, and observing the pathological changes of liver and brain tissue, it was discussed whether hydrogen-rich water had a preventive and therapeutic effect on hepatic encephalopathy. Oxidative stress, inflammation and neuronal apoptosis were detected in plasma, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus to explore the possible mechanism of its protective effect. The results showed that hydrogen-rich water can improve the behavioral changes of the HE rats, reduce blood ammonia, reduce liver function damage, alleviate the pathological changes of liver and brain tissue, significantly inhibit the systemic and local oxidative stress and inflammation of the brain tissue of the HE rats, and reduce neuronal apoptosis. In summary, hydrogen-rich water might stabilize liver-brain disturbance in thioacetamide-induced HE rats by anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative stress and reducing neuronal apoptosis.