Hydrogen Inhalation Ameliorates Oxidative Stress and Glucose Metabolism Disorder in the Brain of Hindlimb Unloading Rats
Jin X, Xie F, Yi Y, Zhang Y, Ling S, Shen Q, Ma X, Li Y. · Space: Science & Technology. 2023;3:0027.
Study at a glance
Preclinical
Male Sprague-Dawley rats under normal or hindlimb-unloading conditions.
Approximately 5% hydrogen for 90 minutes twice daily during 28 days of normal housing or hindlimb unloading. · The generator produced approximately 66% H₂ and 33% O₂, which the researchers mixed with air to about 5% H₂. Final O₂ concentration and gas-flow rates were not reported.
90 minutes twice daily for 28 days.
Hindlimb unloading impaired several behavioral, histological, oxidative-stress and glucose-metabolism measures; many were attenuated in the hydrogen group. The open-field test showed no obvious group difference.
Preclinical unloading model, not actual spaceflight. The article does not report absolute H₂/O₂ flows or the final oxygen fraction, so none is inferred. Authors reported no competing interests.
What kind of evidence is this?
Preclinical
Randomized four-group rat study
Other neurological conditions
Inhaled H₂
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 Sprague-Dawley rats under normal or hindlimb-unloading conditions.
80 rats randomized to four groups; n=20 per group. Some endpoint figures report n=15 per group.
90 minutes twice daily for 28 days.
Approximately 5% hydrogen for 90 minutes twice daily during 28 days of normal housing or hindlimb unloading.
A Brown's-gas-derived H₂/O₂ stream diluted with air; not H₂ alone.
The generator produced approximately 66% H₂ and 33% O₂, which the researchers mixed with air to about 5% H₂. Final O₂ concentration and gas-flow rates were not reported.
Not reported — the article states final H₂ concentration but no absolute H₂ or total flow.
O₂ was generated with H₂ before dilution, but final O₂ concentration and O₂ flow were not reported.
Normal control, normal plus hydrogen, hindlimb unloading, and hindlimb unloading plus hydrogen.
Outcomes and reported result
Behavior, hippocampal histology, neurotransmitters, oxidative-stress markers, cortical glucose metabolites, RNA sequencing and protein expression.
Hindlimb unloading impaired several behavioral, histological, oxidative-stress and glucose-metabolism measures; many were attenuated in the hydrogen group. The open-field test showed no obvious group difference.
The complete free publisher full article, methods, results, funding and conflicts were checked.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Preclinical unloading model, not actual spaceflight. The article does not report absolute H₂/O₂ flows or the final oxygen fraction, so none is inferred. Authors reported no competing interests.
Rat hindlimb-unloading model only.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
OpenAlex ID: W4327743573 · DOI: 10.34133/space.0027
Open-access publisher full article under CC BY 4.0.
Space: Science & Technology full article; full-text extraction checked 8 August 2026.
10 August 2026
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