# Molecular Hydrogen as a Novel Protective Agent against Pre-Symptomatic Diseases.
> 分子状水素による前症状疾患（未病）への新たな防御的アプローチ：慢性炎症抑制機序のレビュー


## Abstract

Pre-symptomatic disease, known in Japanese medicine as 'mibyou', describes a condition in which pathological processes are underway before clinical symptoms emerge. Chronic inflammation, driven by dysregulated release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from neutrophils and macrophages of the innate immune system, represents a major category of such conditions. This review examines evidence that molecular hydrogen (H2) can counteract chronic inflammation by scavenging hydroxyl radicals (·OH), a mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species. By reducing oxidative stress, H2 interferes with upstream mechanisms of chronic inflammation, including NLRP3 inflammasome activation. The review surveys applications of H2 as a preventive agent across multiple inflammatory disease states in their pre-symptomatic phase, arguing that H2 may offer a means of addressing pathological progression that conventional medicine currently cannot detect or intervene upon at this early stage.

### Mechanism

H2 selectively neutralizes mitochondria-derived hydroxyl radicals (·OH), thereby reducing oxidative stress and suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which collectively attenuates the pathological cascade underlying chronic inflammation.

## Bibliographic

- **Authors**: Yamamoto H, Ichikawa Y, Hirano S, Sato B, Takefuji Y, Satoh F
- **Journal**: Int J Mol Sci
- **Year**: 2021 (2021-07-05)
- **PMID**: [34281264](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34281264/)
- **DOI**: [10.3390/ijms22137211](https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22137211)
- **PMC**: [PMC8268741](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8268741/)
- **Study type**: review
- **Delivery route**: not specified
- **Effect reported**: not assessed

## Delivery context

The delivery route is not clearly identifiable from this paper. For hydrogen intake, inhalation is the most efficient route; inhalation, however, carries explosion risk (empirical LFL of 10%; high-concentration devices are not recommended).

## Safety notes

The delivery route is not clearly identifiable from this paper. For hydrogen intake, inhalation is the most efficient route; inhalation, however, carries explosion risk (empirical LFL of 10%; high-concentration devices 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 34281264. https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/34281264
> **Source**: PubMed PMID [34281264](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34281264/)