Protective effects of hydrogen-rich saline in a rat model of traumatic brain injury via reducing oxidative stress

BackgroundHydrogen gas (H2) has been considered as a novel antioxidant to selectively reduce the toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radical (
• OH) without affecting the other signal ROS. Our recent study shows that H2 inhalation is beneficial to traumatic brain injury (TBI) via reducing oxidative stress. In contrast to H2, hydrogen-rich saline (HS) may be more suitable for clinical application. The present study was designed to investigate whether HS has a protective effect against TBI via reducing oxidative stress in rats.MethodsTBI model was induced by controlled cortical impact injury. Different dosages of HS were intraperitoneally administered at 5 min after TBI operation. We then measured the brain edema, blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown, neurological dysfunction and injury volume in all animals. In addition, the oxidative products and antioxidant enzymes in brain tissues were detected.ResultsTBI-challenged rats exhibited significant brain injuries characterized by the increase of BBB permeability, brain edema, and lesion volume as well as neurological dysfunction, which were dose-dependently ameliorated by HS treatment. Moreover, we found that HS treatment increased the endogenous antioxidant enzymatic activities and decreased the oxidative product levels in brain tissues of TBI-challenged rats.ConclusionHydrogen-rich saline can exert a protective effect against TBI via reducing oxidative stress. Molecular hydrogen may be a more effective therapeutic strategy for TBI patients.