Hydrogen water alleviates paraquat-induced lung fibroblast injury in vitro by enhancing Nrf2 expression
Li T, Deng S, Lei W, Li Z, Wu W, Zhang T, Dong Z. · Journal of Southern Medical University. 2020;40(2):233-239.
Study at a glance
Preclinical
HFL-1 human lung fibroblasts exposed to paraquat in culture; no animals or patients were studied.
After 24 hours with paraquat 600 µmol/L, cells received 800 µL hydrogen water at a density of 2×10⁵ cells/mL for 48 hours, with or without prior Nrf2 siRNA knockdown. · The complete article reports the treatment volume and duration but does not state the hydrogen-water preparation method or numerical dissolved-H₂ concentration.
Twenty-four hours of paraquat followed by 48 hours of H₂-water treatment; proliferation was also monitored every four hours over 24 hours.
H₂ water increased Nrf2 and partially restored proliferation while lowering α-SMA and collagen I/III after paraquat. Nrf2 knockdown attenuated these effects and left antioxidant levels close to the paraquat-only condition. The study reports molecular and culture outcomes only.
In-vitro single-cell-line model, unclear biological-replicate total, no numerical H₂ concentration, no normal-water vehicle control described for the H₂-water volume, and no organism-level outcome. Chinese national and Yunnan/Kunming grants were reported; no explicit conflict statement was identified, so absence is not inferred.
What kind of evidence is this?
Preclinical
Four-condition in-vitro human lung-fibroblast experiment with Nrf2 knockdown
Respiratory 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
HFL-1 human lung fibroblasts exposed to paraquat in culture; no animals or patients were studied.
Four experimental conditions with assays repeated three times where stated; the article does not report a single biological-replicate total for all outcomes.
Twenty-four hours of paraquat followed by 48 hours of H₂-water treatment; proliferation was also monitored every four hours over 24 hours.
After 24 hours with paraquat 600 µmol/L, cells received 800 µL hydrogen water at a density of 2×10⁵ cells/mL for 48 hours, with or without prior Nrf2 siRNA knockdown.
H₂ dissolved in water for cell culture — H₂ only, not Brown's gas and not inhalation.
The complete article reports the treatment volume and duration but does not state the hydrogen-water preparation method or numerical dissolved-H₂ concentration.
Untreated cells, paraquat-only cells, and paraquat plus H₂ water after Nrf2 siRNA knockdown.
Outcomes and reported result
Cell proliferation, Nrf2, α-SMA, collagen I/III and antioxidant SOD, catalase and glutathione measures.
H₂ water increased Nrf2 and partially restored proliferation while lowering α-SMA and collagen I/III after paraquat. Nrf2 knockdown attenuated these effects and left antioxidant levels close to the paraquat-only condition. The study reports molecular and culture outcomes only.
The complete bilingual PMC article was checked for all four conditions, treatment timing and volume, replicate statement, positive and mechanistic results, missing H₂ concentration/preparation, funding and available disclosures.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
In-vitro single-cell-line model, unclear biological-replicate total, no numerical H₂ concentration, no normal-water vehicle control described for the H₂-water volume, and no organism-level outcome. Chinese national and Yunnan/Kunming grants were reported; no explicit conflict statement was identified, so absence is not inferred.
Paraquat-exposed cultured human lung fibroblasts; it does not establish treatment of paraquat poisoning or pulmonary fibrosis in people.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
PMID: 32376537 · DOI: 10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2020.02.15
Free full bilingual article in PubMed Central.
Complete Chinese/English PMC article and PubMed metadata; full-text extraction checked 9 August 2026.
10 August 2026
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