The Preventive Role of Hydrogen-Rich Water in Thioacetamide-Induced Cholangiofibrosis in Rat Assessed by Automated Histological Classification.

Abstract

Cholangiofibrosis is a hepatic lesion considered a precursor to cholangiocarcinoma. This animal study examined whether hydrogen-rich water could prevent cholangiofibrosis in rats exposed to thioacetamide (TAA). Continuous hydrogen-rich water administration was confirmed to be safe and to improve quality of life. The incidence and mean lesion count of cholangiofibrosis were markedly lower in the hydrogen group (57.1%, 2.86 ± 5.43) compared with the TAA-only group (100%, 12.0 ± 10.07). Convolutional neural network-based image analysis showed a reduced lesion-to-liver area ratio in hydrogen-treated animals (7.54% ± 11.0 vs. 19.6% ± 9.01). In a long-term experiment, microscopic or suspicious tumor incidence fell from 100% to 12.5% with hydrogen use. RNA-seq data indicated suppression of glycolytic pathways, and shifts in intestinal microbiota composition—including changes in Clostridiaceae_1, Ruminococcus, Turicibacter, and Firmicutes—were also documented.

Mechanism

Hydrogen-rich water appears to reduce cholangiofibrosis by downregulating glycolytic pathways and modulating intestinal microbiota composition, including alterations in Clostridiaceae_1, Ruminococcus, Turicibacter, and Firmicutes, thereby attenuating liver injury.