# Maternal molecular hydrogen administration ameliorates rat fetal hippocampal damage caused by in utero ischemia-reperfusion.
> 母体への水素投与が子宮内虚血再灌流による胎仔海馬障害を軽減する：ラットモデルによる検討


## Abstract

Using a rat model of intrauterine ischemia-reperfusion (IR) induced by transient bilateral occlusion of the utero-ovarian arteries on gestational day 16, this study examined whether maternal consumption of hydrogen-saturated water could protect fetal hippocampal tissue. Oral H2 administration elevated placental H2 concentrations and reduced placental oxidative damage following IR. Neonatal growth retardation observed in IR animals was attenuated in the H2-treated group. Immunohistochemical analysis of hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions at postnatal day 7 revealed that IR-induced elevations in 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-modified proteins were significantly reduced by H2 intake. At 8 weeks of age, offspring from H2-treated mothers performed at sham-level reference memory in the Morris water maze, whereas IR-only offspring showed persistent deficits. These findings indicate that maternal H2 intake can mitigate IR-induced hippocampal impairment in offspring.

### Mechanism

H2 scavenges hydroxyl radicals, thereby reducing oxidative stress markers (8-oxo-dG and 4-HNE-modified proteins) in placental and fetal hippocampal tissue, which attenuates neuronal cell damage following ischemia-reperfusion.

## Bibliographic

- **Authors**: Mano Y, Kotani T, Ito M, Nagai T, Ichinohashi Y, Yamada K, et al.
- **Journal**: Free Radic Biol Med
- **Year**: 2014
- **PMID**: [24509162](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24509162/)
- **DOI**: [10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2014.01.037](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2014.01.037)
- **Study type**: animal study
- **Delivery route**: hydrogen-rich water
- **Effect reported**: positive

## Delivery context

Hydrogen-rich water is a low-risk delivery route, but the achievable systemic hydrogen dose is bounded. For clinical applications, inhalation is the most efficient route; inhalation, however, carries explosion risk, and concentration matters (empirical LFL of 10% applies to inhalation environments; high-concentration devices are documented in the Consumer Affairs Agency accident database and are not recommended).

## Safety notes

Hydrogen-rich water is a low-risk delivery route, but the achievable systemic hydrogen dose is bounded. For clinical applications, inhalation is the most efficient route; inhalation, however, carries explosion risk, and concentration matters (empirical LFL of 10% applies to inhalation environments; 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)
- [Inhalation safety threshold lineage](https://h2-papers.org/en/safety-notes/lineage)

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> **Cite as**: H2 Papers — PMID 24509162. https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/24509162
> **Source**: PubMed PMID [24509162](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24509162/)