Hydrogen Research Study
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Preclinical animal evidenceAnimal studyOther or not reported

L-Arabinose Elicits Gut-Derived Hydrogen Production and Ameliorates Metabolic Syndrome in C57BL/6J Mice on High-Fat-Diet.

Lin Zhao, Yan Wang, Guanfei Zhang, Tiantian Zhang, Jing Lou, Jiankang Liu · Nutrients · 2019

Research-use notice

Independent study record

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H2HUBB Research Library branded molecular hydrogen research image
Primary topic Diabetes and Metabolic Health
Evidence type Preclinical animal evidence
Publication type Animal study
Hydrogen method Other or not reported

H2HUBB TAKEAWAY

In all three measurements, at 1-week, 1-month and 5-month time-point, respectively, the researchers observed that high dose of L-arabinose gavage could immediately elicit a dramatic increase of hydrogen production velocity in mice which lasted up to 9 h ( Figure 1 C–E). 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 molecular hydrogen affected the outcomes measured in mice. In all three measurements, at 1-week, 1-month and 5-month time-point, respectively, the researchers observed that high dose of L-arabinose gavage could immediately elicit a dramatic increase of hydrogen production velocity in mice which lasted up to 9 h ( Figure 1 C–E).

What the Researchers Studied

The researchers studied mice. The study used a preclinical animal experiment.

What Effects Did Molecular Hydrogen Have?

After 1 week of acclimatization, mice were first measured for background hydrogen production rate and then were randomly assigned into different groups. During the experiment, hydrogen production capacity was assessed at indicated time; mice were fasted overnight before OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) or ITT (insulin tolerance test) at indicated time; mice feces were freshly collected at indicated time. In all three measurements, at 1-week, 1-month and 5-month time-point, respectively, the researchers observed that high dose of L-arabinose gavage could immediately elicit a dramatic increase of hydrogen production velocity in mice which lasted up to 9 h ( Figure 1 C–E). The authors concluded that remodeling balance between hydrogen-producing and hydrogen-consuming gut bacteria as well as modulating relative abundances of probiotics could be the mechanism underlying L-arabinose’s eliciting hydrogen release, which might subsequently modulate lipid metabolism gene expression and mitochondrial function in metabolic tissues; and synergistically these factors add up and eventually improve multiple parameters in HFD-induced MS. Here the researchers show oral L-arabinose elicited immediate and robust release of hydrogen in mice in a dose-and-time-dependent manner while alleviating high-fat-diet (HFD) induced MS including increased body weight especially fat weight, impaired insulin sensitivity, liver steatosis, dyslipidemia and elevated inflammatory cytokines. In the liver, HFD significantly increased the levels of mRNA transcripts of genes involved in lipid catabolism, including Cpt1 (carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1) which is crucial to fatty acid transportation into the mitochondria, Pparα (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha) and Pparγ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma) which play vital role in regulating expression of fatty acid utilization genes and Acadm (acyl-Coenzyme A dehydrogenase, medium chain) which catalyzes the initial step of fatty acid beta-oxidation( Figure 5 A).

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 reported sample size was 6. The study used a preclinical animal experiment.

Limitations and Safety

Reported limitations: One limitation is that fecal DNA was used as the sample for 16s rRNA gene q-PCR analysis, consequently the relative abundances of microbes the researchers got could not fully represent the real situation in different parts of the intestine. Safety information: Molecular hydrogen was reported to be a safe and effective anti-inflammatory in various models, possibly via scavenging ROS [ 58 ].

Original Study and H2HUBB Research Context

H2HUBB presents this source-grounded research record as one contribution to the broader molecular-hydrogen evidence base.