Hydrogen Saline Protects Intestines During Transplant Surgery in Rats
- Authors
- Hirotsugu Yamamoto, Toshiyuki Aokage, Takuro Igawa, Takahiro Hirayama, Mizuki Seya, Michiko Ishikawa-Aoyama, Tsuyoshi Nojima, Atsunori Nakao, Hiromichi Naito
- Journal
- Pediatric Transplantation
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.1111/petr.13848
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Intestinal Failure
- Body System
- Digestive System
TL;DR
Introducing hydrogen-rich saline directly into the intestines of rats reduced damage and inflammation after a transplant, which could lead to better outcomes for human patients.
Key Finding
In transplanted rat intestines, intraluminal hydrogen-rich saline significantly reduced tissue damage from ischemia-reperfusion injury, preserved the intestinal barrier, and decreased inflammatory responses compared to normal saline.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen-rich saline (a salt solution containing dissolved hydrogen gas) could protect rat intestines from damage during transplantation. When intestines are transplanted, they experience a period without blood flow (cold storage), which causes tissue damage when blood flow is restored. The study found that flushing the intestine with hydrogen-rich saline before transplantation reduced this damage, preserved the intestinal lining, maintained the barrier that prevents bacteria from leaking through, and lowered inflammatory markers.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study suggesting hydrogen-rich saline may help protect transplanted intestines from damage. However, this research was conducted only in rats, not humans, and the clinical applicability remains to be tested. More research is needed before any conclusions can be drawn about potential benefits in human transplant patients.
Abstract
Prolonged intestinal cold storage causes considerable mucosal breakdown, which could bolster bacterial translocation and cause life-threatening infection for the transplant recipient. The intestine has an intraluminal compartment, which could be a target for intervention, but has not yet been fully investigated. Hydrogen gas exerts organ protection and has used been recently in several clinical and basic research studies on topics including intestinal transplantation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the cytoprotective efficacy of intraluminally administered hydrogen-rich saline on cold IR injury in intestinal transplantation. Isogeneic intestinal transplantation with 6 hours of cold ischemia was performed on Lewis rats. Hydrogen-rich saline (H2 concentration at 5 ppm) or normal saline was intraluminally introduced immediately before preservation. Graft intestine was excised 3 hours after reperfusion and analyzed. Histopathological analysis of control grafts revealed blunting of the villi and erosion. These mucosal changes were notably attenuated by intraluminal hydrogen. Intestinal mucosa damage caused by IR injury led to considerable deterioration of gut barrier function 3 h post-reperfusion. However, this decline in permeability was critically prevented by hydrogen treatment. IR-induced upregulation of proinflammatory cytokine mRNAs such as IL-6 was mitigated by hydrogen treatment. Western blot revealed that hydrogen treatment regulated loss of the transmembrane protein ZO-1. Hydrogen-rich saline intraluminally administered in the graft intestine modulated IR injury to transplanted intestine in rats. Successful abrogation of intestinal IR injury with a novel strategy using intraluminal hydrogen may be easily clinically applicable and will compellingly improve patient care after transplantation.