Hydrogen-rich water attenuates radiation-induced oral mucositis in mice via antioxidant and gut microbiota-stabilizing effects: a longitudinal study
Lan Z et al. · Gut Microbes Rep. 2025;2(1):2595392.
Study at a glance
Preclinical
Six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice after a single 15-Gy head-and-neck radiation exposure
Fresh hydrogen-rich drinking water ad libitum from day −1 through day 21 · 1.0–1.4 ppm dissolved H₂, generated and replaced three times daily.
Day −1 through the 21-day study, with tissue sampling on days 7, 14 and 21
The article reports lower mucositis scores, less epithelial and intestinal injury and partial stabilization of microbiota with H₂-rich water. It did not directly measure ROS or short-chain fatty acids.
Male-only preclinical single-fraction radiation model; microbiota associations do not establish causality, and ROS and short-chain fatty acids were not directly quantified.
What kind of evidence is this?
Preclinical
Randomized three-group longitudinal mouse head-and-neck-irradiation experiment
Oral and dental 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
Six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice after a single 15-Gy head-and-neck radiation exposure
45 mice, n=15/group; tissue time points used n=4–5/group and longitudinal microbiota used five mice/group
Day −1 through the 21-day study, with tissue sampling on days 7, 14 and 21
Fresh hydrogen-rich drinking water ad libitum from day −1 through day 21
H₂ dissolved in drinking water — H₂ only, not Brown’s gas and not inhalation.
1.0–1.4 ppm dissolved H₂, generated and replaced three times daily.
Radiation with standard water and non-irradiated standard-water controls
Outcomes and reported result
Oral-mucositis score, tongue and colon histology, weight, cytokines, occludin and ZO-1 and longitudinal fecal microbiota
The article reports lower mucositis scores, less epithelial and intestinal injury and partial stabilization of microbiota with H₂-rich water. It did not directly measure ROS or short-chain fatty acids.
Allocation, concentration, schedule, temporal sampling, principal results, funding, conflicts and stated measurement limitations checked in the open-access full text.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Male-only preclinical single-fraction radiation model; microbiota associations do not establish causality, and ROS and short-chain fatty acids were not directly quantified.
Radiation-induced oral mucositis in mice, not radiotherapy supportive care in patients.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
PMID: 41909889 · DOI: 10.1080/29933935.2025.2595392
Open-access full text is available through PMC and the publisher.
Open-access PMC article and PubMed record; no retraction or expression of concern was shown in the checked records on 7 August 2026.
10 August 2026
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