Effects of hydrogen-rich water on depressive-like behavior in mice.

Abstract

Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are recognized as key contributors to major depressive disorder. This animal study examined whether drinking hydrogen-rich water could alleviate depressive-like behavior in a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mouse model. After 4 weeks of hydrogen-rich water administration, CUMS-induced elevations of IL-1β protein in the hippocampus and cortex were markedly reduced. Overexpression of caspase-1, the enzyme responsible for IL-1β maturation, and excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were also suppressed. These findings indicate that inflammasome activation and subsequent IL-1β and ROS overproduction may underlie CUMS-induced depressive phenotypes, and that hydrogen-rich water can counteract these pathological processes.

Mechanism

Hydrogen-rich water suppresses inflammasome activation, reducing caspase-1 overexpression and thereby lowering IL-1β maturation and excessive ROS production in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, which collectively attenuates depressive-like behavior.