Molecular hydrogen reduces LPS-induced neuroinflammation and promotes recovery from sickness behaviour in mice
Spulber S et al. · PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e42078.
Study at a glance
Preclinical
Mice receiving lipopolysaccharide to induce systemic inflammation and sickness behavior
Hydrogen-enriched electrochemically reduced drinking water ad libitum, started 7 days before LPS and continued afterward · Drinking water contained 510.8 ± 21.9 ppb dissolved H₂; H₂-rich cell medium contained 78.5 ± 20.1 ppb.
Seven-day preadministration followed by continued intake during behavioral and tissue follow-up
The article reports less sickness behavior and faster behavioral recovery. Baseline TNF-α decreased and IL-10 increased; the neuroinflammatory response was described as larger in amplitude but shorter in duration.
Mouse endotoxin model with multiple behavioral and molecular cohorts. An employee of Nihon-Trim was an author and the company funded the study.
What kind of evidence is this?
Preclinical
Controlled mouse endotoxin experiment with behavioral, inflammatory and gene-expression cohorts
Immune and inflammatory conditions
H₂-rich water
Information not yet classified
Some editorial classification fields are still pending. The source-reported outcomes and result are shown below; Hydrogenology does not infer a positive or negative signal from prose automatically.
Methods
Mice receiving lipopolysaccharide to induce systemic inflammation and sickness behavior
Behavioral cohorts included sham/control n=15, sham/H₂ n=15, LPS/control n=13 and LPS/H₂ n=14; additional home-cage and tissue cohorts were smaller
Seven-day preadministration followed by continued intake during behavioral and tissue follow-up
Hydrogen-enriched electrochemically reduced drinking water ad libitum, started 7 days before LPS and continued afterward
H₂ dissolved in drinking water — H₂ only, not Brown’s gas and not inhalation.
Drinking water contained 510.8 ± 21.9 ppb dissolved H₂; H₂-rich cell medium contained 78.5 ± 20.1 ppb.
Ordinary drinking water in sham-treated and LPS-treated mice
Outcomes and reported result
Body weight, spontaneous and novel-environment behavior, brain and peripheral cytokines and inflammatory gene expression
The article reports less sickness behavior and faster behavioral recovery. Baseline TNF-α decreased and IL-10 increased; the neuroinflammatory response was described as larger in amplitude but shorter in duration.
The complete open-access article was checked for water characterization, allocation, behavioral and molecular outcomes, funding and conflicts.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Mouse endotoxin model with multiple behavioral and molecular cohorts. An employee of Nihon-Trim was an author and the company funded the study.
LPS-induced sickness and neuroinflammation in mice, not a clinical neurological or infectious disease.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
PMID: 22860058 · DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042078
Open-access full text is available through PMC and PLOS.
Open-access PMC/PLOS full text and PubMed record.
10 August 2026
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