Molecular hydrogen reduces dermatitis-induced itch, diabetic itch and cholestatic itch through a SIRT1–β-catenin pathway in mice
Zhang L et al. · Redox Biol. 2025;79:103472.
What kind of evidence is this?
Preclinical
Controlled experiments across three mouse models of persistent itch, with pathway-inhibitor and electrophysiology comparisons
Skin, wound and aging research
Inhaled H₂
Not reported in this record.
Not reported in this record.
Methods at a glance
Mice with dermatitis-, diabetes- or bile-duct-ligation-associated itch
Behavioral comparisons generally used n=8/group and mechanistic assays n=5/group; the article contains multiple cohorts
Three daily 1-hour inhalations for prevention experiments; separate single-treatment experiments assessed established itch
2% H₂ inhalation for 1 hour daily on three protocol-specific days; separate comparisons used hydrogen-rich saline 5 mL/kg intraperitoneally
Two H₂-only delivery forms were tested: inhaled 2% H₂ gas and H₂ dissolved in saline. The article does not describe Brown’s gas.
2% inhaled H₂; hydrogen-rich saline 5 mL/kg for the injection comparisons.
Not reported — the full text gives 2% H₂ but no absolute H₂ flow in mL/min.
Carrier-gas O₂ concentration and O₂ flow are not reported in the extracted full-text methods.
Corresponding disease-model mice without H₂, plus pharmacologic pathway comparisons
Outcomes and reported result
Scratching behavior, spinal oxidative markers and antioxidant enzymes, SIRT1/β-catenin signaling, synaptic activity and dendritic-spine density
The article reports less scratching and oxidative and synaptic changes with both inhaled H₂ and H₂-rich saline. It also reports no reduction in fasting glucose in the diabetic model.
Protocols, doses, principal figures, positive and null findings, funding and conflicts checked in the open-access full text.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit. Null findings, outcome type, study design and precision all matter.
Cautions and applicability
Multiple preclinical models, many outcomes and mechanistic interventions; there were no human participants and no clinical itch endpoint.
Experimental persistent itch in mice, not treatment of chronic itch in people.
Not reported in this record.
Not reported in this record.
Not reported in this record.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Certainty is assessed by important outcome across a complete eligible evidence set, not by attaching a final grade to one source.
Sources and record status
PMID: 39752998 · DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2024.103472
Open-access full text is available through PMC.
Open-access PMC full text and PubMed record; no retraction or expression of concern was shown in the checked records on 7 August 2026.
2026-08-10