Molecular hydrogen and extracorporeal gas exchange: a match made in heaven? An in vitro pilot study
Mouzakis FL, Hima F, Kashefi A, Greven J, Rink L, van der Vorst EPC, Jankowski J, Mottaghy K, Spillner J. · Biomedicines. 2024;12(8):1883.
Study at a glance
Preclinical
Heparinized blood donated by seven healthy adult men, tested outside the body in six simultaneous circuit/control conditions.
One lipopolysaccharide-challenged circuit received a roughly 6% H₂ gas mixture through a 0.3 m² gas exchanger for six hours, producing 100–120 ppb dissolved H₂ in blood. · Approximately 6% H₂ in the exchanger gas and 100–120 ppb dissolved H₂. Circuit blood flow was 40 mL/min, which is not the H₂ gas flow.
Six hours of uninterrupted 40 mL/min blood circulation and continuous gas supply.
The H₂ circuit showed lower hemolysis and several inflammatory/oxidative biomarkers than the LPS gas-exchanger circuit, most clearly IL-6 and MDA. MCP-1 did not significantly differ overall, MPO patterns left little margin for an H₂ comparison, and H₂ interfered with one blood-gas analyzer's pO₂ reading.
Pilot ex-vivo system, only male donors, six conditions share each donor sample, substantial hemolysis, multiple biomarkers, no living subject and no clinical ECMO outcome. German institutional/foundation/DFG support was reported for one author; authors declared no conflicts.
What kind of evidence is this?
Preclinical
Repeated ex-vivo human-blood miniature-ECMO circuit experiment
Critical care and ischemia-reperfusion
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
Heparinized blood donated by seven healthy adult men, tested outside the body in six simultaneous circuit/control conditions.
Seven donor experiments; on each occasion one donor's approximately 300 mL blood primed five miniature ECMO circuits and one stationary control.
Six hours of uninterrupted 40 mL/min blood circulation and continuous gas supply.
One lipopolysaccharide-challenged circuit received a roughly 6% H₂ gas mixture through a 0.3 m² gas exchanger for six hours, producing 100–120 ppb dissolved H₂ in blood.
Molecular H₂ supplied as part of a gas-exchanger mixture — not Brown's gas; exact carrier-gas composition was not stated.
Approximately 6% H₂ in the exchanger gas and 100–120 ppb dissolved H₂. Circuit blood flow was 40 mL/min, which is not the H₂ gas flow.
Stationary blood, reference ECMO, lipopolysaccharide ECMO and otherwise matched gas-exchanger circuits without H₂.
Outcomes and reported result
Blood gases, dissolved H₂, hemolysis and MCP-1, MPO, MDA, thioredoxin-1 and IL-6.
The H₂ circuit showed lower hemolysis and several inflammatory/oxidative biomarkers than the LPS gas-exchanger circuit, most clearly IL-6 and MDA. MCP-1 did not significantly differ overall, MPO patterns left little margin for an H₂ comparison, and H₂ interfered with one blood-gas analyzer's pO₂ reading.
The complete free PMC article, circuit table, figures and methods were checked for donor/circuit structure, gas and dissolved concentrations, missing gas flows, positive and null/measurement findings, funding and conflicts.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Pilot ex-vivo system, only male donors, six conditions share each donor sample, substantial hemolysis, multiple biomarkers, no living subject and no clinical ECMO outcome. German institutional/foundation/DFG support was reported for one author; authors declared no conflicts.
Miniature ECMO circuits containing healthy donor blood; it does not establish safety or efficacy in ECMO patients.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
PMID: 39200347 · DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12081883
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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