General Research Model: rat

Protective effect of hydrogen-rich saline on decompression sickness in rats

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Diving to New Depths: How Hydrogen-Rich Saline Fights Decompression Sickness

A 2011 study found that hydrogen-rich saline can help prevent or treat decompression sickness in rats. The findings have implications for other conditions that involve inflammation and oxidative stress. Hydrogen-rich saline could be a valuable tool in the fight against decompression sickness and other diseases.

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Abstract

Publish Year 2011 Country China Rank Positive Journal Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine Primary Topic Whole Body Secondary TopicDiving Model Rat Tertiary TopicDecompression Sickness Vehicle Saline (Dissolved) pH Neutral Application Injection Comparison Complement

Methods

Results: H2-rich saline significantly decreased the incidence of DCS from 67.57 to 35.14% and partially counteracted the increases in the total concentration of protein in the bronchoalveolar lavage from 0.33 +/- 0.05 to 0.14 +/- 0.01 mg x ml(-1) (mean +/- SD; P < 0.05), myeloperoxidase activity from 0.86 +/- 0.16 to 0.44 +/- 0.13 U/g, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) from 0.80 +/- 0.10 to 0.48 +/- 0.05 nmol x mg(-1), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine from 253.7 +/- 9.3 to 191.2 +/- 4.8 pg x mg(-1) in the lungs, and MDA level from 1.77 +/- 0.20 to 0.87 +/- 0.23 nmol x mg(-1) in the spinal cord in rat DCS models. The histopathology results also showed that H2-rich saline ameliorated DCS injuries. Discussion: It is concluded that H2-rich saline may have a protective effect against DCS, possibly due to its antioxidant action.