# The Preventive Role of Hydrogen-Rich Water in Thioacetamide-Induced Cholangiofibrosis in Rat Assessed by Automated Histological Classification.
> チオアセトアミド誘発胆管線維症ラットモデルにおける水素水の予防効果：自動組織分類による評価


## 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.

## Bibliographic

- **Authors**: Li CY, Zhao X, Gu X, Chen Y, Yu G
- **Journal**: Front Pharmacol
- **Year**: 2021
- **PMID**: [34489690](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34489690/)
- **DOI**: [10.3389/fphar.2021.632045](https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.632045)
- **PMC**: [PMC8417776](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8417776/)
- **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)

---

> **Cite as**: H2 Papers — PMID 34489690. https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/34489690
> **Source**: PubMed PMID [34489690](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34489690/)