Abstract
Background: Cholangiofibrosis is a controversial intrahepatic cholangial lesion that precedes the development of cholangiocarcinoma. Here, we demonstrate that molecular hydrogen (H2) can be used to effectively prevent cholangiofibrosis.Methods: The safety and quality of life (QOL) of rats was firstly evaluated. H2 was administered to rats subjected to thioacetamide (TAA)-induced cholangiofibrosis throughout the whole process. Then, rats were administrated with TAA for 3 months and then followed by H2 intervention. Rat livers were harvested and assessed by light microscopy and convolutional neural network. RNA-seq was performed to analyze the genetic changes in these animal models.Results: Continuous use of H2-rich water was safe and improved QOL.The incidence and average number of cholangiofibrosis in the liver were higher in the TAA group (100%, 12.0 ± 10.07) than that in the H2 group (57.1%, 2.86 ± 5.43). The AI algorithm revealed higher Alesion/Aliver in the TAA group (19.6% ± 9.01) than that in the H2 group (7.54% ± 11.0). RNA-seq analysis revealed that H2 results in a decline in glycolysis. Moreover, in the third experiment, the incidence of microscopic or suspicious tumors and the ratio of liver lesions was decreased after long-term use of H2 (12.5%, 0.57% ± 0.45) compared with untreated group (100%, 0.98% ± 0.73). A number of intestinal microbiota was changed after H2 usage, including clostridiaceae_1, ruminococcus, turicibacter, coriobacteriales, actinobacteria, and firmicutes_bacterium.Conclusion: Hydrogen-rich water protects against liver injury and cholangiofibrosis and improved quality of life partially through regulating the composition of intestinal flora.
Highlights
Cancer incidence and mortality rates in China have been rapidly increasing (Bode et al, 2016)
Continuous use of H2-rich water was safe and improved quality of life (QOL).The incidence and average number of cholangiofibrosis in the liver were higher in the TAA group (100%, 12.0 ± 10.07) than that in the H2 group (57.1%, 2.86 ± 5.43)
A number of intestinal microbiota was changed after H2 usage, including clostridiaceae_1, ruminococcus, turicibacter, coriobacteriales, actinobacteria, and firmicutes_bacterium
Summary
Cancer incidence and mortality rates in China have been rapidly increasing (Bode et al, 2016). The incidence of traditional Chinese cancers, such as liver, stomach, esophageal, nasopharyngeal, and cervical cancers, remains high, while the incidence and mortality of cancers associated with unhealthy lifestyles and pollution, such as lung, breast, colon, and prostate cancers, have dramatically increased over the past decade (Chen et al, 2016). The endless pursuit of wealth has led to the irrevesible deterioration of the enviroment at a rapid pace, which correlates with increases in cancer incidence and mortality. No effective strategies are available for the protection or reversal of environmental pollution. We demonstrate that molecular hydrogen (H2) can be used to effectively prevent cholangiofibrosis
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