Abstract
We examined whether consumption of hydrogen-rich water (HW) could ameliorate hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) injury in mice with total body irradiation (TBI). The results indicated that HW alleviated TBI-induced HSC injury with respect to cell number alteration and to the self-renewal and differentiation of HSCs. HW specifically decreased hydroxyl radical ((∙)OH) levels in the c-kit(+) cells of 4 Gy irradiated mice. Proliferative bone marrow cells (BMCs) increased and apoptotic c-kit(+) cells decreased in irradiated mice uptaken with HW. In addition, the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of γ-H2AX and percentage of 8-oxoguanine positive cells significantly decreased in HW-treated c-kit(+) cells, indicating that HW can alleviate TBI-induced DNA damage and oxidative DNA damage in c-kit(+) cells. Finally, the cell cycle (P21), cell apoptosis (BCL-XL and BAK), and oxidative stress (NRF2, HO-1, NQO1, SOD, and GPX1) proteins were significantly altered by HW in irradiated mouse c-kit(+) cells. Collectively, the present results suggest that HW protects against TBI-induced HSC injury.