Hydrogen-rich water attenuates radiation-induced oral mucositis in mice via antioxidant and gut microbiota-stabilizing effects: a longitudinal study.
Zixin Lan, Junyang Chen, Shanwei Lan, Ning Li, Bo Yang, Jin Hou, Xiaojun Yang · Gut microbes reports · 2025
Research-use notice
Independent study record
Each H2HUBB study page organizes source-linked research details for educational use. Interpretation should remain proportional to the study design, population, controls, and limitations.
H2HUBB TAKEAWAY
In mice, supplementation with hydrogen-rich water (HW) markedly decreased the severity of oral lesions and preserved epithelial thickness, while restoring the expression of tight junction proteins in the colon. These preclinical findings add evidence supporting molecular hydrogen's therapeutic potential within the outcomes and biological pathways measured in this model.
What the Findings Mean
H2HUBB reviewed how hydrogen-rich water affected the outcomes measured in mice. Supplementation with hydrogen-rich water (HW) markedly decreased the severity of oral lesions and preserved epithelial thickness, while restoring the expression of tight junction proteins in the colon.
What the Researchers Studied
The researchers studied mice. The study used a preclinical animal experiment. The comparison condition was control condition or baseline measurements.
What Effects Did Molecular Hydrogen Have?
In this study, 45 weight-matched mice were randomly assigned to three groups (15 per group): (1) negative control (NC), (2) radiation-only (R), and (3) radiation plus hydrogen-rich water (RHW). Hydrogen-rich water (HW) was generated three times daily using a proprietary gas–liquid separation system (ZiHe Biology Co., Ltd., China). The dissolved hydrogen concentration was measured immediately before dispensing and was maintained at 1.0–1.4 ppm to ensure a stable hydrogen concentration. Supplementation with hydrogen-rich water (HW) markedly decreased the severity of oral lesions and preserved epithelial thickness, while restoring the expression of tight junction proteins in the colon. The authors concluded that these findings underscore an oral-gut axis whereby HW fosters mucosal healing through microbiome stabilization and decreased inflammatory stress, suggesting that HW as a promising adjunct for managing head and neck irradiation-related complications. Hydrogen molecules in HW may selectively scavenge cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby minimizing ROS-mediated cellular damage and preventing overactivation of inflammatory pathways (e.g., NF-κB). Following a 10% goat serum block, the sections were incubated overnight at 4 °C with primary antibodies against occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) (rabbit monoclonal; Abcam, UK) at a ratio of 1:200.
Why These Findings Matter
These preclinical findings add evidence supporting molecular hydrogen's therapeutic potential within the outcomes and biological pathways measured in this model.
How Strong Is This Evidence?
This is preclinical animal evidence from a preclinical animal experiment. It is most informative for the disease model, mechanisms, biomarkers, and outcomes directly measured in the study.
Technical Study Details
H2HUBB classifies this publication as animal study with preclinical animal evidence. The research population or model was mice. The study used a preclinical animal experiment. The hydrogen delivery method was hydrogen-rich water.
Limitations and Safety
No separate limitations or safety findings were identified in the current-study source text available to H2HUBB.
Original Study and H2HUBB Research Context
H2HUBB presents this source-grounded research record as one contribution to the broader molecular-hydrogen evidence base.