Front. Physiol., 20 December 2021
Sec. Redox Physiology
Volume 12 – 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.789507
Molecular hydrogen (H 2 ) is a colorless and odorless gas. Studies have shown that H 2 inhalation has the therapeutic effects in many animal studies and clinical trials, and its application is recommended in the novel coronavirus pneumonia treatment guidelines in China recently. H 2 has a relatively small molecular mass, which helps it quickly spread and penetrate cell membranes to exert a wide range of biological effects. It may play a role in the treatment and prevention of a variety of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, such as acute pancreatitis, sepsis, respiratory disease, ischemia reperfusion injury diseases, autoimmunity diseases, etc.. H 2 is primarily administered via inhalation, drinking H2 -rich water, or injection of H 2 saline. It may participate in the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity (mitochondrial energy metabolism), immune system regulation, and cell death (apoptosis, autophagy, and pyroptosis) through annihilating excess reactive oxygen species production and modulating nuclear transcription factor. However, the underlying mechanism of H 2 has not yet been fully revealed. Owing to its safety and potential efficacy, H 2 has a promising potential for clinical use against many diseases. This review will demonstrate the role of H 2in antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects and its underlying mechanism, particularly in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), providing strategies for the medical application of H 2 for various diseases.
分子氫（H2）是一種無色無味的氣體。多項動物研究和臨床試驗研究表明，吸入H2具有治療作用，近期我國新冠肺炎治療指南推薦其應用。H2的分子質量相對較小，這有助於它快速擴散和穿透細胞膜，發揮廣泛的生物效應。可起到治療和預防多種急慢性炎症性疾病的作用，如急性胰腺炎、敗血症、呼吸系統疾病、缺血再灌注損傷疾病、自身免疫性疾病等。H2主要通過吸入、飲用H2給藥-富水，或註射H2鹽水。它可能通過消除過量活性氧的產生和調節核轉錄因子來參與抗炎和抗氧化活性（線粒體能量代謝）、免疫系統調節和細胞死亡（細胞凋亡、自噬和細胞焦亡）。然而，H2的潛在機制尚未完全揭示。由於其安全性和潛在功效，H2 在臨床上用於治療多種疾病具有廣闊的前景。本綜述將論證氫氣在抗氧化、抗炎和抗細胞凋亡方面的作用及其潛在機制，特別是在2019 年冠狀病毒病（COVID-19）中，為氫氣在各種疾病的醫學應用提供策略。