A Preliminary Study on the Effect of Hydrogen Gas on Alleviating Early CCl 4-Induced Chronic Liver Injury in Rats

Chunhua Chen, Huaicun Liu, Huiru Ding, Jianwei Wang, Jinyu Fang, Quancheng Cheng, Weiguang Zhang, Xuan Fang

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DOI: 10.3390/antiox10121933 DOI is the universal ID for this study.

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Abstract:

As a small-molecule reductant substance, hydrogen gas has an obvious antioxidant function. It can selectively neutralize hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO•) in cells, reducing oxidative stress damage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of hydrogen gas (3%) on early chronic liver injury (CLI) induced by CCl4 and to preliminarily explore the protective mechanism of hydrogen gas on hepatocytes by observing the expression of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in liver tissue. Here, 32 rats were divided into four groups: the control group, CCl4 group, H2 (hydrogen gas) group, and CCl4 + H2 group. The effect of hydrogen gas on early CLI was observed by serological tests, ELISA, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and oil red O staining. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting were used to observe the expression of UCP2 in liver tissues. We found that CCl4 can induce significant steatosis in hepatocytes. When the hydrogen gas was inhaled, hepatocyte steatosis was reduced, and the UCP2 expression level in liver tissue was increased. These results suggest that hydrogen gas might upregulate UCP2 expression levels, reduce the generation of intracellular oxygen free radicals, affect lipid metabolism in liver cells, and play a protective role in liver cells.

Publish Year 2021
Country China
Rank Positive
Journal Antioxidants
Primary Topic Liver
Secondary TopicLiver Injury
Model Rat
Tertiary TopicLipid Metabolism
Vehicle Gas
pH N/A
Application Inhalation
Comparison
Complement