Hydrogen Gas Promotes Skin Regeneration in Burn Wounds

Several Russian research institutions and the German Institute of Blood Pathology have found that hydrogen gas promotes skin regeneration in burn wounds, with mast cells acting as the target. Mast cells play an important role in allergic reactions and many inflammatory processes, and studying their role in the regeneration process after burn injuries revealed that hydrogen gas can impact mast cells in local burned tissues, thus promoting skin regeneration. This discovery holds certain significance for the use of hydrogen-rich water in the treatment of skin burns.

The complete restoration of skin, as an organ, appears to be one of the key issues in regenerative medicine today. The morphological aspects of the wound healing process have been the focus of various researchers. Burn wounds are of particular significance compared to other skin injuries due to the specificity of the burn process and the long-term restoration of skin integrity. Mast cells play a crucial role in the formation of connective tissue in the skin. They can influence the state of the extracellular matrix and possess important sensory and effector characteristics. Mast cells have many important functions that provide molecular mechanisms for skin wound regeneration.

Activated mast cells control key events (inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling) in wound healing through their receptors and effector characteristics. Specific proteases are of significant importance in achieving the biological effects of mast cells in restoring damaged skin structures. The positive impact of hydrogen on wound healing rate is well-known. Mast cells, based on the specific tissue microenvironment, possess fundamental potential and numerous factual materials for morphological polymorphism of collagen fiber formation. However, the importance of their implementation in collagen fiber synthesis under various burn wound management approaches, including the use of hydrogen, remains to be elucidated. The objective of the research is to assess the effectiveness of hydrogen treatment on skin burn wound regeneration processes related to collagen fiber formation activity and mast cell activity in the treatment of skin burns.

To evaluate the effectiveness of local treatment with hydrogen on collagen fiber production in second-degree burn wounds of the skin, scholars analyzed the participation of mast cells in connective tissue collagen fiber regeneration using highly hydrogen-enriched water and cell wound treatment ointment. Thermal burns led to an increase in the population of mast cells in the skin, accompanied by extracellular matrix reorganization. Hydrogen treatment of burn wounds stimulates the formation of dermal fibrous components to promote the regenerative process and accelerate wound healing. Therefore, the enhancement of collagen fiber synthesis is comparable to the effect of treatment ointment. The remodeling of the extracellular matrix is associated with a decrease in the area of damaged skin. The regeneration of the skin induced by mast cell-secreted active substances may be one of the potential targets for the biological effects of hydrogen in the treatment of burn wounds. Thus, the positive effects of hydrogen on skin repair can be utilized in clinical practice to improve post-thermal exposure treatment outcomes.

Collagen fiber synthesis is an important indicator of the wound healing process, determining the efficiency of extracellular matrix regeneration in the injured area. Mast cells play a significant role in skin repair, and scholars have shown only one of the numerous application points of their regulatory function, potentially influenced by hydrogen. Based on the results of the conducted research, mast cells are considered important targets of hydrogen in the local tissue microenvironment. Hydrogen indirectly influences the speed of development of inflammatory reactions, the formation of the immune landscape, the remodeling of extracellular matrix, and the restoration of skin structural components by altering the regulatory activity of mast cells. The beneficial effects of hydrogen on the restoration of skin integrity after burn injuries enable us to view it as a tool with a positive impact on local wound treatment in clinical practice. To completely address skin issues, long-term and consistent use is necessary, and effectiveness and duration may vary depending on the individual.