The evolution of molecular hydrogen: a noteworthy potential therapy with clinical significance

Abstract

Studies on molecular hydrogen have evolved tremendously from its humble beginnings and have continued to change throughout the years. Hydrogen is extremely unique since it has the capability to act at the cellular level. Hydrogen is qualified to cross the blood brain barrier, to enter the mitochondria, and even has the ability to translocate to the nucleus under certain conditions. Once in these ideal locations of the cell, previous studies have shown that hydrogen exerts antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective properties that are beneficial to the cell. Hydrogen is most commonly applied as a gas, water, saline, and can be applied in a variety of other mediums. There are also few side effects involving hydrogen, thus making hydrogen a perfect medical gas candidate for the convention of novel therapeutic strategies against cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, cancer, metabolic, and respiratory diseases and disorders. Although hydrogen appears to be faultless at times, there still are several deficiencies or snares that need to be investigated by future studies. This review article seeks to delve and comprehensively analyze the research and experiments that alludes to molecular hydrogen being a novel therapeutic treatment that medicine desperately needs.

Figure 1

The progress of hydrogen in history. A timeline of the history of molecular hydrogen [1-3].

Figure 2

Hydrogen therapy reduces hydroxyl radical and increases endogenous antioxidants caused by oxidative stress. Molecular hydrogen is proposed to be protective by increasing endogenous antioxidants in addition to scavenging the hydroxyl radical after an injury such as oxidative stress [9,10].

Figure 3

Possible mechanisms of molecular hydrogen. Possible pathways for molecular hydrogen. It has been proposed that molecular hydrogen has the capabilities to affect the pathways mentioned and to directly or indirectly assist in the gene regulation or protein expression of the following: MPO, MCP, Caspase-3, Caspase-12, TNF, interleukins, Bcl-2, Bax, Cox-2 [15-20].

Figure 4

Hydrogen therapy potential for top causes of death in the US. The potential for molecular hydrogen in the top causes of death in the United States (excluding deaths caused by suicide and accidents) [23].