Hydrogen water treatment significantly reduces tendon adhesion and excessive inflammatory response following tendon repair surgery by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity and suppressing oxidative stress markers. The therapeutic mechanism appears to be mediated through activation of the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway, suggesting hydrogen therapy as a promising adjunctive treatment to improve tendon repair outcomes and reduce post-operative complications.
Plain-Language Summary
Researchers gave hydrogen water to rats after tendon repair surgery to see if it could reduce scarring and inflammation. Compared to rats receiving normal saline, those treated with hydrogen water showed higher levels of protective antioxidant enzymes (SOD and GSH) and lower levels of harmful molecules (MDA) associated with cell damage. Laboratory tests on skin cells confirmed that hydrogen water reduced oxidative stress and activated a cellular defense pathway called Nrf2.
Abstract
A rat model of tendon repair was established to investigate the effects of hydrogen water on tendon adhesion reduction. Thirty-six Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal saline (NS) group and a hydrogen water (HS) group according to the processing reagents after a tendon repairing operation. Pre- and postoperative superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) in subjects' serum were observed. Skin fibroblasts were grouped into an NS group, H2 O2 group, H2 group, and H2 O2 H2 group. Expressions of Nrf2, CATA, and γ-GCS were also tested by Western blot analysis. 8-OHdG, GSH, MDA, and SOD of the cells were analyzed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The postoperative SOD activity and GSH contents were significantly reduced (P < 0.05), whereas the postoperative MDA level was significantly increased (P < 0.05). Similarly, the postoperative HS group showed significantly higher SOD activity and GSH contents (P < 0.05) but lower MDA (P < 0.05) compared with the postoperative NS group. MDA and 8-OHdG were significantly decreased in hydrogen-rich medium, while SOD and GSH were increased. The expression of Nrf2, CATA, and γ-GCS in antioxidant system were reduced after H2 O2 processing, which were restored after the application of hydrogen-rich medium. Hydrogen water can reduce tendon adhesion after tendon repairing and prohibit excessive inflammatory response, which could be associated with the activation of the Nrf2 pathway.
DOI: 10.1002/jcb.27441
