Beneficial effects of hydrogen gas in a rat model of traumatic brain injury via reducing oxidative stress

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of mortality and disability among the young population. It has been shown that hydrogen gas (H 2) exerts a therapeutic antioxidant activity by selectively reducing hydroxyl radical ( OH, the most cytotoxic ROS). Recently, we have found that H 2 inhalation significantly improved the survival rate and organ damage of septic mice. In the present study, we investigated the effectiveness of H 2 therapy on brain edema, blood–brain barrier (BBB) breakdown, neurological dysfunction and injury volume in TBI-challenged rats. In addition, we investigated the effects of H 2 treatment on the changes of oxidative products and antioxidant enzymes in brain tissue of TBI-challenged rats. Hydrogen treatment was given by exposure to 2% H 2 from 5 min to 5 h after sham or TBI operation, respectively. Here, we found that TBI-challenged rats showed significant brain injuries characterized by the increase of BBB permeability, brain edema and lesion volume as well as neurological dysfunction, which was significantly attenuated by 2% H 2 treatment. In addition, we found that the decrease of oxidative products and the increase of endogenous antioxidant enzymatic activities in the brain tissue may be associated with the protective effects of H 2 treatment in TBI-challenged rats. The present study supports that H 2 inhalation may be a more effective therapeutic strategy for patients with TBI.