In this study, acute CO poisoning was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by exposing them to 1000 ppm CO in air for 40 min and then 3000 ppm CO for another 20 min until they lost consciousness. Hydrogen-rich saline (10 mL/kg) or normal saline (NS) (10 mL/kg, peritoneally) was administered immediately and again at 8 h and 16 h after CO insult. More Nissl-stained cells were observed in CO poisoned rats with hydrogen-rich saline treatment than with NS 24 h after CO poisoning. ROS and its subsequent lipid peroxidation have been demonstrated to play a role in the brain injury following CO exposure with or without reoxygenation, which mimics the accident and the resuscitation with or without hyperbaric oxygen treatment. The increase in the levels of lipid peroxidation products such as MDA is a marker of lipid damage. In this experiment, we observed a significant increase in the levels of brain MDA in rats after CO poisoning. And hydrogen treatment following CO exposure markedly decreased the levels of MDA in the cortex and hippocampus.
Shen MH, Cai JM, Sun Q, et al. Neuroprotective effect of hydrogen-rich saline in acute carbon monoxide poisoning. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2013 May;19(5):361-3.