Hydrogen-rich saline attenuates steroid-associated femoral head necrosis through inhibition of oxidative stress in a rabbit model
Huang SL, Jiao J, Yan HW. · Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. 2016;11(1):177-182.
Study at a glance
Preclinical
Thirty healthy adult male New Zealand white rabbits given lipopolysaccharide followed by three daily prednisolone injections to model steroid-associated femoral-head osteonecrosis.
Intraperitoneal H₂-rich saline once daily for 14 consecutive days. The article prints the dose as 5 mg/kg/day, an unusual unit for saline; Hydrogenology does not silently convert it to mL/kg. · Hydrogen was dissolved in saline for six hours at 0.4 MPa; the solution was gamma-sterilized, stored at 4°C, prepared weekly and confirmed by gas chromatography to remain above 0.6 mmol/L.
Daily H₂-rich saline for 14 days; biochemical measures extended to day 14 and histology/microvascular density to six weeks.
H₂-rich saline was associated with lower VEGF and thrombomodulin, improved histology and higher microvascular density. Glutathione was higher at days 3 and 5 and lipid peroxide lower at day 5, but neither marker differed between groups at days 7 or 14. No deaths or overt side effects were reported.
Small male-rabbit prevention/attenuation experiment with only two model groups, surrogate laboratory and histological outcomes, no human participants, and a potentially erroneous dose unit printed as mg/kg/day. No dedicated funding or conflict declaration was identified in the full article; absence is not inferred.
What kind of evidence is this?
Preclinical
Randomized two-group controlled rabbit study
Musculoskeletal and pain research
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
Thirty healthy adult male New Zealand white rabbits given lipopolysaccharide followed by three daily prednisolone injections to model steroid-associated femoral-head osteonecrosis.
30 rabbits randomized to H₂-rich saline or normal saline, n=15 per group; five animals per group were killed at weeks 2, 4 and 6 for tissue assessment.
Daily H₂-rich saline for 14 days; biochemical measures extended to day 14 and histology/microvascular density to six weeks.
Intraperitoneal H₂-rich saline once daily for 14 consecutive days. The article prints the dose as 5 mg/kg/day, an unusual unit for saline; Hydrogenology does not silently convert it to mL/kg.
H₂ dissolved in physiological saline — H₂ only, not Brown's gas.
Hydrogen was dissolved in saline for six hours at 0.4 MPa; the solution was gamma-sterilized, stored at 4°C, prepared weekly and confirmed by gas chromatography to remain above 0.6 mmol/L.
Model animals receiving normal saline; the study had no healthy non-model arm.
Outcomes and reported result
Plasma glutathione, lipid peroxide, VEGF and thrombomodulin; femoral-head histology and CD34-positive microvascular density.
H₂-rich saline was associated with lower VEGF and thrombomodulin, improved histology and higher microvascular density. Glutathione was higher at days 3 and 5 and lipid peroxide lower at day 5, but neither marker differed between groups at days 7 or 14. No deaths or overt side effects were reported.
The complete free PMC article was checked for allocation, model induction, H₂ preparation and concentration, the source's unusual printed dose unit, serial results including null time points and follow-up.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Small male-rabbit prevention/attenuation experiment with only two model groups, surrogate laboratory and histological outcomes, no human participants, and a potentially erroneous dose unit printed as mg/kg/day. No dedicated funding or conflict declaration was identified in the full article; absence is not inferred.
Experimental steroid-associated osteonecrosis in rabbits; it does not establish prevention or treatment in people.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
PMID: 26889236 · DOI: 10.3892/etm.2015.2883
Free full article in PubMed Central.
Complete PMC article and PubMed metadata; full-text extraction checked 9 August 2026.
10 August 2026
Help people check the facts before they buy.
Hydrogenology keeps 665 source-checked records accessible without advertising or product promotion.
Help us correct the recordReport a discrepancy
Send the exact difference between this page and the linked source. The study reference is attached automatically.