# Hydrogen-Rich Water Ameliorates Autistic-Like Behavioral Abnormalities in Valproic Acid-Treated Adolescent Mice Offspring.
> 水素水投与がバルプロ酸誘発自閉症様行動異常を改善する：思春期マウス仔における検討


## Abstract

Using a valproic acid (VPA) mouse model of autism, this study examined whether hydrogen-rich water (HRW) could reduce neurodevelopmental behavioral deficits in adolescent offspring. Pregnant ICR mice received intraperitoneal VPA (600 mg/kg) on gestational day 12.5, and offspring were given HRW across different postnatal windows (PND 1–21, PND 13–21, or PND 13–42). Behavioral assessments conducted between PND 35–42 — including open field, social interaction, novelty-suppressed feeding, hot plate, and contextual fear memory tests — showed that HRW significantly reversed the autistic-like deficits in both male and female offspring. Serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, which were elevated by maternal VPA exposure, were normalized by HRW administration, whereas BDNF levels remained unaffected. These findings indicate that anti-inflammatory mechanisms may underlie HRW's ameliorating effects on autism-related behavioral phenotypes, warranting further investigation into its preventive potential for neurodevelopmental conditions.

### Mechanism

HRW is proposed to reduce VPA-induced neuroinflammation by normalizing elevated serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels, thereby alleviating autism-like behavioral abnormalities without affecting BDNF concentrations.

## Bibliographic

- **Authors**: Guo Q, Yin X, Qiao M, Jia Y, Chen DM, Shao J, et al.
- **Journal**: Front Behav Neurosci
- **Year**: 2018
- **PMID**: [30127728](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30127728/)
- **DOI**: [10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00170](https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00170)
- **PMC**: [PMC6087877](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6087877/)
- **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 30127728. https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/30127728
> **Source**: PubMed PMID [30127728](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30127728/)