Oral ‘hydrogen water’ induces neuroprotective ghrelin secretion in mice
Matsumoto A et al. · Sci Rep. 2013;3:3273.
Study at a glance
Preclinical
Adult mice in gastric-expression, plasma-ghrelin and MPTP neurotoxicity cohorts
Hydrogen water 0.8 mL/mouse once daily in ghrelin experiments and saturated H₂ water before MPTP in the Parkinson model · Preparations ranged from about 0.04 mmol/L to saturated about 0.8 mmol/L H₂; magnesium-stick and open-air-electrolysis methods were used in different experiments.
Four days for ghrelin experiments; seven days before MPTP and seven days of post-MPTP assessment
The article reports increased ghrelin after four days and less MPTP-associated dopaminergic-neuron loss; atenolol or a ghrelin-receptor antagonist abolished the reported neuroprotection.
Several small mechanistic mouse cohorts and three water-preparation methods; results do not establish benefit in people with Parkinson’s disease.
What kind of evidence is this?
Preclinical
Multiple controlled mouse ghrelin and MPTP-Parkinson-model experiments with pharmacologic blockade
Parkinson’s disease
Other forms
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
Adult mice in gastric-expression, plasma-ghrelin and MPTP neurotoxicity cohorts
Assay-specific groups ranged from n=2–10; for example n=4, n=5–10, n=4–5 and n=2–6 in principal figures
Four days for ghrelin experiments; seven days before MPTP and seven days of post-MPTP assessment
Hydrogen water 0.8 mL/mouse once daily in ghrelin experiments and saturated H₂ water before MPTP in the Parkinson model
H₂ dissolved in oral water — H₂ only, not Brown’s gas and not inhalation.
Preparations ranged from about 0.04 mmol/L to saturated about 0.8 mmol/L H₂; magnesium-stick and open-air-electrolysis methods were used in different experiments.
Control water with or without atenolol or a ghrelin-receptor antagonist and saline/MPTP controls
Outcomes and reported result
Gastric ghrelin expression, plasma ghrelin and substantia-nigra dopaminergic-neuron measures
The article reports increased ghrelin after four days and less MPTP-associated dopaminergic-neuron loss; atenolol or a ghrelin-receptor antagonist abolished the reported neuroprotection.
Preparation, concentrations, volume, schedules, assay-specific samples and antagonist results checked in the open-access full text.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Several small mechanistic mouse cohorts and three water-preparation methods; results do not establish benefit in people with Parkinson’s disease.
Ghrelin signaling and MPTP neurotoxicity in mice.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
PMID: 24253616 · DOI: 10.1038/srep03273
Open-access full text is available through PMC and Nature.
Open-access PMC/Nature article and PubMed record; no retraction or expression of concern was shown in the checked records on 7 August 2026.
10 August 2026
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