Neutral pH hydrogen-enriched electrolyzed water demonstrates selective inhibition of tumor cell growth and invasion while preserving normal cell viability through intracellular oxidant scavenging mechanisms. The preferential anti-tumor effects combined with antioxidant properties suggest potential clinical applications as a preventive therapeutic agent against oral cancer progression and metastatic invasion.
Plain-Language Summary
Researchers tested a special type of water enriched with hydrogen gas on cancer cells and normal cells in laboratory dishes. The hydrogen-enriched water slowed the growth of tongue cancer and fibrosarcoma (a type of muscle cancer) cells while leaving normal mouth cells relatively unharmed. The water appeared to work by reducing harmful molecules called oxidants (unstable oxygen-containing compounds) inside the cancer cells.
Abstract
The properties and effects of neutral pH hydrogen-enriched electrolyzed water (NHE water) on tumor cells were examined. NHE water diminished hydroxyl radicals as demonstrated by ESR in a cell-free system. Human tongue carcinoma cells HSC-4 were inhibited for either colony formation efficiencies or colony sizes by NHE water without significant inhibition to normal human tongue epithelial-like cells DOK. Furthermore, NHE water caused growth inhibition, cell degeneration, and inhibition of invasion through the reconstituted basement membrane to human fibrosarcoma cells HT-1080. Intracellular oxidants such as hydroperoxides and hydrogen peroxides were scavenged in HSC-4 or HT-1080 cells by NHE water. In the human oral cavity, a dissolved hydrogen concentrations (DH) of NHE water was drastically declined from 1.1 to 0.5 ppm, but settled to 0.3-0.4 ppm until 180 s, upon static holding without gargling. Thus, NHE water was shown to achieve tumor-preferential growth inhibition and tumor invasion together with scavenging of intracellular oxidants, and is expected as a preventive material against tumor progression and invasion.
