Abstract
Although ionizing radiation (radiation) is commonly used for medical diagnosis and cancer treatment, radiation-induced damages cannot be avoided. Such damages can be classified into direct and indirect damages, caused by the direct absorption of radiation energy into DNA and by free radicals, such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH), generated in the process of water radiolysis. More specifically, radiation damage concerns not only direct damages to DNA, but also secondary damages to non-DNA targets, because low-dose radiation damage is mainly caused by these indirect effects. Molecular hydrogen (H2) has the potential to be a radioprotective agent because it can selectively scavenge •OH, a reactive oxygen species with strong oxidizing power. Animal experiments and clinical trials have reported that H2 exhibits a highly safe radioprotective effect. This paper reviews previously reported radioprotective effects of H2 and discusses the mechanisms of H2, not only as an antioxidant, but also in intracellular responses including anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis, and the regulation of gene expression. In doing so, we demonstrate the prospects of H2 as a novel and clinically applicable radioprotective agent.
Highlights
Ionizing radiation is commonly used for medical diagnosis and cancer treatment
Indirect effects are caused by free radicals, such as hydroxyl radicals (OH), and molecular products generated in the process of water radiolysis [2,3,4,5]
This study examined the effects of mild-pressure H2 gas inhalation on radiation damage in cancer patients, we confirmed that the inhalation of H2 gas equivalent to mild-pressure H2 gas (1.35 times) in a normal pressure environment had the same radioprotective effects
Summary
Ionizing radiation (radiation) is commonly used for medical diagnosis and cancer treatment. In 2007, Ohsawa et al reported that the inhalation of H2 gas ameliorated ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rat model with cerebral infarction [7] In this paper, they showed that H2 is an antioxidant that selectively reduces highly oxidative reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), such as. In 2005, two years before the study by Ohsawa et al [8] They reported that the ingestion of neutral H2 -rich water produced by water electrolysis alleviated liver damage in rats induced by chemical oxidants. These papers have led to global research on the medical applications of H2. We demonstrate the prospects of H2 as a novel and clinically applicable radioprotective agent
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