Hydrogen inhalation ameliorated mast cell-mediated brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage in mice
Manaenko A, Lekic T, Ma Q, Zhang JH, Tang J. · Critical Care Medicine. 2013;41(5):1266-1275.
What kind of evidence is this?
Preclinical
Multi-cohort controlled mouse intracerebral-hemorrhage experiment with time, repeat-dose, blood-injection and catalase-inhibition comparisons
Other neurological conditions
Inhaled H₂
Not reported in this record.
Not reported in this record.
Methods at a glance
171 eight-week-old male CD-1 mice across collagenase and autologous-blood intracerebral-hemorrhage models.
171 mice overall. Outcome-specific groups commonly used n=6-8; full cohort allocation was reported in supplementary text rather than as one main-text group table.
Exposure began one hour after hemorrhage; molecular outcomes at 2-24 hours and edema, barrier and neurological outcomes at 24/72 hours.
One- or two-hour inhalation of 2.9% H₂ beginning one hour after hemorrhage; selected cohorts compared one treatment with one hour daily for three days.
Premixed 2.9% H₂, 21% O₂ and balance N₂ — not Brown's gas because the H₂:O₂ proportions were 2.9:21, not 2:1.
Total chamber flow was 8 L/min. Direct calculation gives H₂ flow 232 mL/min and O₂ flow 1,680 mL/min.
232 mL/min.
1,680 mL/min.
Sham and medical-air vehicle groups, one versus two hours, single versus repeated H₂, autologous-blood versus collagenase hemorrhage, and catalase-inhibitor comparison.
Outcomes and reported result
Brain water, neurological tests, hematoma volume, Evans-blue permeability, Lyn phosphorylation, mast-cell tryptase/degranulation, H₂O₂ and nitrotyrosine.
H₂ improved edema, neurological, barrier and mast-cell/redox measures mainly at 24 hours. It did not change hematoma volume at 24 or 72 hours. Delayed 72-hour edema, barrier, neurological and nitrotyrosine findings were non-significant tendencies, and repeated daily treatment was ineffective. Catalase inhibition reversed selected mechanistic effects.
The complete free PMC article was checked for total sample, gas composition/total flow, directly calculated H₂/O₂ flows, treatment schedules, positive and null acute/delayed outcomes, model limitation, funding and conflict declaration.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit. Null findings, outcome type, study design and precision all matter.
Cautions and applicability
Multiple small outcome-specific cohorts, male mice only, inflammatory collagenase model, numerous molecular endpoints, short follow-up, no hematoma reduction and no confirmed delayed benefit. NIH support was reported; authors disclosed no potential conflicts.
Experimental intracerebral hemorrhage in mice; it does not establish inhaled H₂ treatment for patients.
Not reported in this record.
Not reported in this record.
Not reported in this record.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Certainty is assessed by important outcome across a complete eligible evidence set, not by attaching a final grade to one source.
Sources and record status
PMID: 23388512 · DOI: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e31827711c9
Free full article in PubMed Central.
Complete PMC article, supplementary allocation description and PubMed metadata; full-text extraction checked 9 August 2026.
2026-08-10