title: Effects of oral intake of hydrogen water on liver fibrogenesis in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Liver fibrosis is the universal consequence of chronic liver diseases. Sustained hepatocyte injury initiates an inflammatory response, thereby activating hepatic stellate cells, the principal fibrogenic cells in the liver. Reactive oxygen species are involved in liver injury and are a promising target for treating liver fibrosis. Hydrogen water is reported to have potential as a therapeutic tool for reactive oxygen species-associated disorders. This study aimed to investigate the effects of hydrogen water on liver fibrogenesis and the mechanisms underlying these effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  C57BL/6 mice were fed with hydrogen water or control water, and subjected to carbon tetrachloride, thioacetamide and bile duct ligation treatments to induce liver fibrosis. Hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells were isolated from mice and cultured with or without hydrogen to test the effects of hydrogen on reactive oxygen species-induced hepatocyte injuries or hepatic stellate cell activation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral intake of hydrogen water significantly suppressed liver fibrogenesis in the carbon tetrachloride and thioacetamide models, but these effects were not seen in the bile duct ligation model. Treatment of isolated hepatocyte with 1 μg/mL antimycin A generated hydroxyl radicals. Culturing in the hydrogen-rich medium selectively suppressed the generation of hydroxyl radicals in hepatocytes and significantly suppressed hepatocyte death induced by antimycin A; however, it did not suppress hepatic stellate cell activation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that hydrogen water protects hepatocytes from injury by scavenging hydroxyl radicals and thereby suppresses liver fibrogenesis in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Kojiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taura
authors.forename: Etsuro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hatano
authors.forename: Kazutaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Kojiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Kenya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Narita
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yanagida
authors.forename: Taku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwaisako
authors.forename: Hikohito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujinawa
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uemoto
keywords: hydrogen; hydrogen water; hydroxyl radical; liver cirrhosis; liver fibrosis; liver injury