title: Protective effect of hydrogen-rich saline on decompression sickness in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hydrogen (H2) has been reported to be effective in the treatment of oxidative injury, which plays an important role in the process of decompression sickness (DCS). This study was designed to test whether H2-rich saline (saline saturated with molecular hydrogen) protected rats against DCS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Models of DCS were induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 300-310 g. H2-rich (0.86 mmol x L(-1)) saline was administered intraperitoneally (10 ml x kg(-1)) at 24 h, 12 h, immediately before compression, and right after fast decompression.
  
  
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is concluded that H2-rich saline may have a protective effect against DCS, possibly due to its antioxidant action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diving Medicine, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Xiao
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Zhi-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Dan-Feng
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Rong-Jia
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shu-Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhi-Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Run-Ping
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xue-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wei-Gang
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D006859:Hydrogen; D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D009195:Peroxidase; D003849:Deoxyguanosine