水素豊富生理食塩水の静脈内投与による虚血性難聴の予防効果：スナネズミを用いた検討
A transient cochlear ischemia model was established in Mongolian gerbils by bilateral vertebral artery occlusion for 15 minutes. Hydrogen-rich saline (5 mL) was administered intravenously immediately after the ischemic insult, with plain saline serving as the control. Seven days post-ischemia, auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds at 8 kHz increased by 24.2±3.8 dB and inner hair cell (IHC) counts at the basal cochlear turn declined by 14.1±1.8% in controls. Animals receiving hydrogen-rich saline showed significantly attenuated cochlear injury: ABR threshold elevation was reduced to 11.7±2.6 dB and IHC loss to 7.5±2.1%. Protective effects were more pronounced at higher frequencies (16 and 32 kHz). No changes in ABR thresholds or cochlear histology were observed in non-ischemic animals given either solution.
Hydrogen is proposed to scavenge reactive oxygen species generated during cochlear ischemia-reperfusion, thereby limiting oxidative damage to inner hair cells and preserving auditory function.
Intravenous hydrogen-saline infusion is a clinic-only route and is not viable for everyday self-administration. For routine hydrogen intake, inhalation is the most practical route, but inhalation carries explosion risk and concentration matters (empirical LFL of 10%; high-concentration 66% / 100% devices are not recommended).
See also:
https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/29223865