H2 inhalation improves airway inflammation in asthma and COPDScientific Research

Abstract:

Background: Hydrogen was proven to have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammation effects to various diseases. Aim: We wish to investigate the acute effects of inhaled hydrogen on airway inflammation in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Design: Prospective study.

Methods: 2.4% hydrogen containing steam mixed gas (XEN) was inhaled once for 45 minutes in 10 patients with asthma and 10 patients with COPD. The levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon-γ (IFNγ), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-6 (IL-6), et al. in peripheral blood and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) before and after ‘XEN’ inhalation were measured.

Results: 45 minutes ‘XEN’ inhalation once decreased monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP1) level in both COPD (564.70 to 451.51pg/mL, P = 0.019) and asthma (386.39 to 332.76 pg/mL, P = 0.033) group, while decreased IL-8 level only in asthma group (5.25 to 4.49pg/mL, P = 0.023). The level of EBC soluble cluster of differentiation-40 ligand (sCD40L) in COPD group increased after inhalation (1.07 to 1.16pg/mL, P = 0.031), while IL-4 and IL-6 levels in EBC were significantly lower after inhalation in the COPD (0.80 to 0.64pg/mL, P = 0.025) and asthma (0.06 to 0.05pg/mL, P = 0.007) group respectively. Conclusions: A single inhalation of hydrogen for 45 minitues attenuated inflammatory status in airways in patients with asthma and COPD.