心疾患における分子状水素の潜在的効果：過去の知見から将来の応用まで
Cardiovascular disease remains the foremost cause of death globally, with oxidative stress and inflammatory processes central to its onset and progression. Molecular hydrogen (H2), a small gas that remains non-hazardous below 4% concentration at room temperature, can cross cell membranes and be metabolized without leaving residues. Multiple administration routes—inhalation, hydrogen-rich water ingestion, hydrogen-rich saline infusion, and organ preservation bathing—have been investigated. This review consolidates findings from in vitro, animal, and clinical studies, focusing on cardioprotective outcomes. H2 has been shown to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic actions relevant to several cardiovascular conditions, including ischemia-reperfusion injury, radiation-induced cardiac damage, atherosclerosis, chemotherapy-associated cardiotoxicity, and cardiac hypertrophy. Intracellular mechanisms underlying these effects are discussed, though definitive pathways remain to be fully elucidated.
H2 is proposed to protect cardiomyocytes by scavenging reactive oxygen species, suppressing inflammatory signaling, and inhibiting apoptotic pathways, thereby mitigating damage in conditions such as ischemia-reperfusion injury and atherosclerosis. Precise intracellular targets remain under investigation.
This study combines multiple delivery routes. As a general principle, the most efficient route for routine hydrogen intake is inhalation. Inhalation carries explosion risk (empirical LFL of 10%; high-concentration devices are documented in the Consumer Affairs Agency accident database and are not recommended).
See also:
https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/37269385