# A novel method of preserving cardiac grafts using a hydrogen-rich water bath.
> 水素富化水浴を用いた心臓移植グラフト保存の新手法


## Abstract

Using a rat heterotopic cardiac transplantation model, this study examined the efficacy of cold organ storage in a hydrogen-rich water bath generated by an electrolyzer. Both syngeneic grafts from elderly donors (60–70-week-old Lewis rats) and allografts from adult donors (12-week-old Brown Norway rats) underwent prolonged cold preservation in Celsior solution within bags immersed in the hydrogen-saturated bath. Control grafts showed marked elevation of serum troponin I and creatine phosphokinase at 3 hours post-reperfusion, accompanied by neutrophil infiltration and upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine mRNAs. Grafts preserved in the hydrogen-rich bath demonstrated significantly reduced myocardial injury and inflammatory responses, along with decreased mitochondrial damage and higher adenosine triphosphate content. These findings indicate that hydrogen delivery via a water bath during cold storage effectively mitigates ischemia-reperfusion injury in cardiac grafts.

### Mechanism

Hydrogen exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects that suppress reactive oxygen species generated during cold ischemia-reperfusion, thereby reducing neutrophil infiltration, pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, and mitochondrial damage while preserving ATP content in cardiac grafts.

## Bibliographic

- **Authors**: Noda K, Shigemura N, Tanaka Y, Kawamura T, Hyun Lim S, Kokubo K, et al.
- **Journal**: J Heart Lung Transplant
- **Year**: 2013
- **PMID**: [23273745](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23273745/)
- **DOI**: [10.1016/j.healun.2012.11.004](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healun.2012.11.004)
- **Study type**: animal study
- **Delivery route**: hydrogen bath
- **Effect reported**: positive

## Delivery context

Hydrogen bathing has reports of localized effects, but for systemic hydrogen intake the most efficient route is inhalation. Inhalation carries explosion risk (empirical LFL of 10%; high-concentration devices are documented in the Consumer Affairs Agency accident database and are not recommended).

## Safety notes

Hydrogen bathing has reports of localized effects, but for systemic hydrogen intake the most efficient route is inhalation. Inhalation carries explosion risk (empirical LFL of 10%; high-concentration devices are documented in the Consumer Affairs Agency accident database and are not recommended).

See also:
- [Inhalation concentration and LFL / UFL](https://h2-papers.org/en/safety-notes/inhalation-concentration)
- [Consumer Affairs Agency accident cases](https://h2-papers.org/en/safety-notes/accident-cases)

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> **Cite as**: H2 Papers — PMID 23273745. https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/23273745
> **Source**: PubMed PMID [23273745](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23273745/)