Hydrogen Water Speeds Healing of Radiation Burns in Study

Authors
Journal
Journal of Radiation Research
Year
DOI
10.1093/jrr/rry074
Study Type
Rat
Outcome
Positive
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Country
China
Health Condition
Radiation-Induced Skin Injury
Body System
Integumentary

TL;DR

Drinking water with added hydrogen can speed up the healing of skin damaged by radiation therapy in rats.

Key Finding

In rats with radiation-induced skin wounds, hydrogen-rich water accelerated healing time and reduced markers of oxidative stress and inflammation compared to regular water, with effects increasing at higher hydrogen concentrations.

Summary

Researchers gave rats with radiation-damaged skin either regular water or hydrogen-rich water (water with extra hydrogen gas dissolved in it) at two different concentrations. Rats that received hydrogen-rich water healed faster and showed lower levels of harmful molecules called MDA and inflammatory markers called IL-6. They also had higher levels of protective enzymes (SOD) and growth factors that help skin repair. The higher concentration of hydrogen-rich water worked better than the lower concentration.

Practical Takeaway

This is an early-stage animal study showing hydrogen-rich water may help with radiation-induced skin damage through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. However, these results are from rats only and have not been tested in humans, so it's unclear whether the same effects would occur in people receiving radiation therapy. More research is needed before drawing any conclusions about human use.

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the healing effect of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on radiotherapy-induced skin injury. Rats were irradiated with a 6 MeV electron beam from a Varian linear accelerator. After skin wound formation, rats were individually administrated with distilled water, HRW (1.0 ppm) or HRW (2.0 ppm). We measured the healing time and observed the healing rate of the wounded surface. After irradiation, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the wounded tissues were evaluated, as determined using an MDA and SOD assay kit. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Models of skin damage were successfully established using a 44 Gy electronic beam. The healing time was shortened in the two HRW-treated groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, interventions of HRW resulted in a marked reduction in the MDA (P < 0.05) and IL-6 levels (P < 0.01). Additionally, the SOD activity in the two HRW-treated groups was higher than that in the distilled water group at the end of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd weeks (P < 0.001). The EGF level was also significantly increased at the end of the 1st and 2nd weeks (P < 0.05). Compared with the HRW (1.0 ppm) group, the healing rate was higher and the healing time was reduced in the HRW (2.0 ppm) group. A significant decrease was observed in the IL-6 level at the end of the 1st, 3rd and 4th weeks (P < 0.05) and in the EGF content at the end of the 1 week after the HRW administration (P < 0.01). Collectively, our data indicate that HRW accelerates wound healing of radiation-induced skin lesions through anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, suggesting that HRW has a healing effect on acute radiation-mediated skin injury, and that this is dependent on the concentration of the hydrogen.