Protective Effects of Hydrogen-rich Water Intake on Renal Injury in Neonatal Rats with High Oxygen Loading.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of hydrogen-rich water (HW) intake on renal injury in neonatal rats with high oxygen loading.
Materials: We used pregnant and newborn Sprague-Dawley rats.
Methods: Four groups were set up, with mother and newborn rats immediately after delivery as one group: RA-PW (room air and purified water), RA-HW (room air and HW), O ₂ -PW (80% oxygen and purified water), and O ₂ -HW (80% oxygen and HW). The newborn rats were maintained in either a normoxic (room air, 21% oxygen) or controlled hyperoxic (80% oxygen) environment from birth. Then, HW (O ₂ -HW and RA-HW groups) or PW (O ₂ -PW and RA-PW groups) was administered to parents of each group.
Results: The number of immature glomeruli significantly increased in the O ₂ -PW group (exposed to hyperoxia). Conversely, the O ₂ -HW group had significantly fewer immature glomeruli than O ₂ -PW group. In the RT-PCR analysis of kidney tissue, α-SMA, TGF-β, and TNF-α levels were significantly higher in the O ₂ -PW group than in the RA-PW group and significantly lower in the O ₂ -HW group than in the O ₂ -PW group.
Conclusions: HW intake can potentially reduce oxidative stress and prevent renal injury in neonates with high oxygen loading.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
(© 2022 The Juntendo Medical Society.)