Longitudinal multiparametric MRI study of hydrogen-enriched water with minocycline combination therapy in...

Free radicals are downstream mediators of several cytotoxic cascades contributing to ischemic brain injury. Molecular hydrogen (H₂) is an antioxidant potentially useful in the treatment of stroke. Hydrogen is easy to deliver, biologically non-toxic and diffuses freely through all biological structures including the blood-brain barrier and cellular membranes. This study evaluated the efficacy of hydrogen treatments in a rat stroke model compared to vehicle-treated controls using multiparametric MRI and neurological tests. Additionally, comparison of H₂ treatment alone was made with H₂ combined with minocycline (H2M) treatment (12 rats per group). The primary findings were: i) H₂ therapy reduced infarct volume in both H₂ and H2M groups compared to controls at 1 and 7 days after stroke, and ii) both H₂ and H2M improved neurologic functional recovery on day 7. The secondary outcomes were: iii) H2M treatment attenuated post-stroke hyperperfusion in the hyperacute phase, and iv) H2M markedly minimized white matter injury. In conclusion, this is the first study to use MRI to longitudinally study H₂ and H2M treatment on ischemic stroke and the first study to compare H₂ treatment combined with another potential stroke therapeutic (H2M).