Electrolyzed-reduced water (ERW) effectively mitigates hemodialysis-induced oxidative stress and erythrocyte damage in end-stage renal disease patients, improving hematocrit levels and reducing inflammatory markers over six months of treatment. ERW demonstrates comparable antioxidant efficacy to vitamin C and vitamin E-coated dialyzers while avoiding the oxalate accumulation complications associated with vitamin C supplementation. These findings suggest ERW is a safe and effective adjunctive therapy for managing hemodialysis-related anemia and oxidative stress in chronic renal failure patients.
Plain-Language Summary
This study tested whether electrolyzed-reduced water (water treated with electricity to add hydrogen) could help protect red blood cells in 43 patients undergoing long-term kidney dialysis. Dialysis treatment normally damages red blood cells through oxidative stress (a type of cellular damage). After 6 months of drinking electrolyzed-reduced water, patients showed improved red blood cell counts, reduced markers of cell damage, and lower levels of inflammation compared to patients who received standard dialysis or other antioxidant treatments.
Abstract
Chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients increase erythrocyte susceptibility to hemolysis and impair cell survival. We explored whether electrolyte-reduced water (ERW) could palliate HD-evoked erythrocyte impairment and anemia. Forty-three patients undergoing chronic HD were enrolled and received ERW administration for 6 month. We evaluated oxidative stress in blood and plasma, erythrocyte methemoglobin (metHb)/ferricyanide reductase activity, plasma metHb, and proinflammatory cytokines in the chronic HD patients without treatment (n=15) or with vitamin C (VC)- (n=15), vitamin E (VE)-coated dialyzer (n=15), or ERW treatment (n=15) during an HD course. The patients showed marked increases (15-fold) in blood reactive oxygen species, mostly H(2)O(2), after HD without any treatment. HD resulted in decreased plasma VC, total antioxidant status, and erythrocyte metHb/ferricyanide reductase activity and increased erythrocyte levels of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH) and plasma metHb. Antioxidants treatment significantly palliated single HD course-induced oxidative stress, plasma and RBC PCOOH, and plasma metHb levels, and preserved erythrocyte metHb /ferricyanide reductase activity in an order VC>ERW>VE-coated dialyzer. However, ERW had no side effects of oxalate accumulation easily induced by VC. Six-month ERW treatment increased hematocrit and attenuated proinflammatory cytokines profile in the HD patients. In conclusion, ERW treatment administration is effective in palliating HD-evoked oxidative stress, as indicated by lipid peroxidation, hemolysis, and overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines in HD patients.
