^aDivision of Neurogenetics, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan

^bDepartment of Longevity and Aging Research, Gifu International Institute of Biotechnology, Kakamigahara 504-0838, Japan

^cDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, Kasugai 487-8501, Japan

^dDepartment of Neurosurgery, Nagoya Central Hospital, Nagoya 453-0801, Japan

^eDepartment of Neurosurgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan

^fDepartment of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan

^gDepartment of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Development and Aging Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Kawasaki 211-8533, Japan

Abstract

Molecular hydrogen serves as an antioxidant that reduces hydroxyl radicals, but not the other reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. In the past year, molecular hydrogen has been reported to prevent or ameliorate eight diseases in rodents and one in human associated with oxidative stress. In Parkinson's disease, mitochondrial dysfunction and the associated oxidative stress are major causes of dopaminergic cell loss in the substantia nigra. We examined effects of 50%-saturated molecular hydrogen in drinking water before or after the stereotactic surgery on 6-hydroxydopamine-induced nigrostrital degeneration in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Methamphetamine-induced behavioral analysis showed that molecular hydrogen prevented both the development and progression of the nigrostrital degeneration. Tyrosine hydroxylase staining of the substantia nigra and striatum also demonstrated that pre- and post-treatment with hydrogen prevented the dopaminergic cell loss. Our studies suggest that hydrogen water is likely able to retard the development and progression of Parkinson's disease.

Keywords: Parkinson's disease; Molecular hydrogen; Oxidative stress