A novel approach of intestinal graft protection: Intraluminal administration of hydrogen-rich water

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K09306
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 55060:Emergency medicine-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAO ATSUNORI 岡山大学, 医歯薬学域, 教授 (40648169)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 尾迫 貴章 岡山大学, 医歯薬学総合研究科, 講師 (30573844) ; 石川 倫子 兵庫医科大学, 医学部, 非常勤講師 (40566121) ; 山田 太平 兵庫医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (00465684)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 小腸移植 / 水素 / 虚血再灌流障害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Small intestine transplantation, which is covered by health insurance for both living and brain-dead donors, is expected to increase in the future. However, as of October 2019, only about 30 cases of small intestine transplantation have been performed in Japan, significantly lagging behind Europe and America. One reason for this is the small intestine's vulnerability to ischemia-reperfusion injury and the difficulty in its preservation. It is known that hydrogen gas has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we tested a safer and more clinically applicable preservation method using a rat small intestine transplantation model, where hydrogen molecules were administered to the mucosal surface of the small intestine grafts during organ preservation. The administration of saline solution enriched with hydrogen into the graft lumen was found to mitigate ischemia-reperfusion injury in small intestine transplantation.

Free Research Field

臓器移植、虚血再灌流

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでの臓器保存の概念は、主に血管を潅流し、保存液を血管内より臓器に流し込むことであった。しかし、腸管は他の実質臓器と異なり、消化管管腔という特殊な構造をもつ。腸管粘膜は、バリア機能を担う重要な組織であるが、これまで小腸移植において消化管内腔をターゲットにした治療的戦略は研究されてこなかった。本研究の成果により、水素分子の腸管内腔へのアプローチという新しい治療戦略は、グラフト保存法の改良ばかりでなく、重症患者のBacterial Translocationへの応用の可能性を秘めている。