水素水が実験的甲状腺機能低下症および潜在性甲状腺機能低下症モデルにおける精子形成と精子パラメータに与える影響
Thyroid hormone deficiency is known to impair testicular function partly through elevated oxidative stress. This animal study used propylthiouracil to establish hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism in 30 male Wistar rats allocated to five groups. Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) was administered orally twice daily for four weeks. Serum LH, FSH, and testosterone were measured alongside testicular histology, sperm count, motility, and oxidative stress markers. In hypothyroid animals, serum testosterone and gonadotropin levels were reduced relative to controls. HRW administration significantly elevated LH and testosterone and improved sperm count and motility in the hypothyroid group; motility also improved in the subclinical group. Histologically, Leydig cell counts recovered significantly with HRW, while Sertoli cell trends were non-significant. Oxidative stress assessment showed decreased malondialdehyde and increased superoxide dismutase and catalase activities following HRW exposure, indicating a shift toward antioxidant balance.
HRW is proposed to scavenge reactive oxygen species, thereby reducing lipid peroxidation (MDA) and upregulating antioxidant enzymes (SOD, catalase), which in turn supports Leydig cell viability and testosterone biosynthesis in hypothyroid conditions.
Hydrogen-rich water is a low-risk delivery route, but the achievable systemic hydrogen dose is bounded. For clinical applications, inhalation is the most efficient route; inhalation, however, carries explosion risk, and concentration matters (empirical LFL of 10% applies to inhalation environments; high-concentration devices are documented in the Consumer Affairs Agency accident database and are not recommended).
See also:
https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/41421768