Hydrogen-water ameliorates radiation-induced gastrointestinal toxicity via MyD88’s effects on the gut microbiota
Xiao HW, Li Y, Luo D, Dong JL, Zhou LX, Zhao SY, Zheng QS, Wang HC, Cui M, Fan SJ. · Experimental & Molecular Medicine. 2018;50(1):e433.
Study at a glance
Preclinical
Male C57BL/6 mice exposed to 12 or 15 Gy total abdominal gamma irradiation; separate 3T3-cell mechanistic assays tested miR-1968-5p/MyD88.
Fresh H₂-rich water 0.2 mL by oral gavage twice daily from two days before through seven days after irradiation. · H₂ gas was bubbled into 500 mL sterile water at 150 mL/min for 20 minutes, targeting 0.8 mM. Measured fresh water was approximately 0.7 mM and fell to 0.2 mM over eight hours.
Twice daily from day −2 through day +7; outcome timing varied from five-day microbiome/tissue measures to longer survival/alopecia observations.
Survival, weight, gastrointestinal function, villus integrity and several molecular measures favored H₂-rich water. Peripheral white-cell count did not improve, and microbiome richness/diversity indices did not differ significantly, although community composition shifted.
Male-mouse high-dose irradiation model, multiple experiments with changing irradiation dose and sample size, many molecular/microbiome comparisons, limited follow-up and microbiome associations that do not prove mechanism. Chinese public/institutional and U.S. NIH grants funded the work; authors declared no conflict and named the commercial gas-generator manufacturer.
What kind of evidence is this?
Preclinical
Controlled mouse total-abdominal-irradiation study with survival, tissue, microRNA and microbiome experiments
Gastrointestinal health
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
Male C57BL/6 mice exposed to 12 or 15 Gy total abdominal gamma irradiation; separate 3T3-cell mechanistic assays tested miR-1968-5p/MyD88.
Principal survival, weight and tissue comparisons used n=12 per group; fecal/microbiome analyses used n=4 per group, and a separate stool-output experiment housed six mice per cage.
Twice daily from day −2 through day +7; outcome timing varied from five-day microbiome/tissue measures to longer survival/alopecia observations.
Fresh H₂-rich water 0.2 mL by oral gavage twice daily from two days before through seven days after irradiation.
H₂ dissolved in drinking water — H₂ only, not Brown's gas and not inhalation.
H₂ gas was bubbled into 500 mL sterile water at 150 mL/min for 20 minutes, targeting 0.8 mM. Measured fresh water was approximately 0.7 mM and fell to 0.2 mM over eight hours.
Irradiated mice gavaged with 0.2 mL normal water twice daily, plus nonirradiated controls in selected tissue and microbiome analyses.
Outcomes and reported result
Survival, body weight, stool output/diarrhea, villus integrity, oxidative and epithelial markers, white-cell count, miRNA/MyD88/TLR signaling and gut-microbiome diversity/composition.
Survival, weight, gastrointestinal function, villus integrity and several molecular measures favored H₂-rich water. Peripheral white-cell count did not improve, and microbiome richness/diversity indices did not differ significantly, although community composition shifted.
The complete free PMC article, supplement-linked figures and experiment-specific samples were checked for preparation flow/concentration, dose and timing, survival, tissue and microbiome findings, explicit null outcomes, funding and conflicts.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Male-mouse high-dose irradiation model, multiple experiments with changing irradiation dose and sample size, many molecular/microbiome comparisons, limited follow-up and microbiome associations that do not prove mechanism. Chinese public/institutional and U.S. NIH grants funded the work; authors declared no conflict and named the commercial gas-generator manufacturer.
Radiation gastrointestinal injury in mice; it does not establish supportive care during radiotherapy in people.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
PMID: 29371696 · DOI: 10.1038/emm.2017.246
Free full article in PubMed Central.
Complete PMC article and PubMed metadata; full-text extraction checked 9 August 2026.
10 August 2026
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