title: Oral 'hydrogen water' induces neuroprotective ghrelin secretion in mice.
abstract: The therapeutic potential of molecular hydrogen (H₂) is emerging in a number of human diseases and in their animal models, including in particular Parkinson's disease (PD). H₂ supplementation of drinking water has been shown to exert disease-modifying effects in PD patients and neuroprotective effects in experimental PD model mice. However, H₂ supplementation does not result in detectable changes in striatal H₂ levels, indicating an indirect effect. Here we show that H₂ supplementation increases gastric expression of mRNA encoding ghrelin, a growth hormone secretagogue, and ghrelin secretion, which are antagonized by the β1-adrenoceptor blocker, atenolol. Strikingly, the neuroprotective effect of H₂ water was abolished by either administration of the ghrelin receptor-antagonist, D-Lys(3) GHRP-6, or atenolol. Thus, the neuroprotective effect of H₂ in PD is mediated by enhanced production of ghrelin. Our findings point to potential, novel strategies for ameliorating pathophysiology in which a protective effect of H₂ supplementation has been demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba [2] Division of Molecular Design, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka [3] Research Center for Nucleotide Pool, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan [4].
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamafuji
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.forename: Yusaku
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakabeppu
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Haruaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakaya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018342:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014867:Water / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018342:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1; D014867:Water