AUTHOR=Guo Jialiang , Tian Siyu , Wang Zhongzheng , Wang Yuchuan , Zhang Xiaojuan , Zhang Yingze , Hou Zhiyong , Dong Weichong TITLE=Hydrogen saline water accelerates fracture healing by suppressing autophagy in ovariectomized rats JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2022.962303 DOI=10.3389/fendo.2022.962303 ISSN=1664-2392 ABSTRACT=Objective

The treatment of osteoporotic fractures is difficult, and to minimize the negative result or poor functional rehabilitation, this study focuses on hydrogen water (HRW) to test its effect on the process of menopausal osteoporotic fracture healing and its relationship with autophagy and to try to reveal the potential mechanism of action of HRW on osteoporotic fractures.

Materials and methods

A rat osteoporotic fracture model was established, and HRW was systematically applied with or without 3MA. The results were analyzed with X-rays, micro-CT scans, serum biomarker analysis, biomechanical tests, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. The sham, OVX, OH (OVX+HRW) and OHA (OVX+HRW+3MA) groups were formed and compared.

Results

Increased oxidative stress and autophagy levels were necessary physiological responses in the process of fracture healing. It was found that systemic HRW treatment slightly suppressed autophagy and then activated the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway by maintaining the Keap1-Nrf2-P62 interaction and improved the osteoporotic fracture healing process.

Conclusion

HRW treatment activated the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway to antagonize cellular stress by suppressing autophagy levels, especially at the early stage of the fracture healing process, and this was beneficial to osteoporotic fracture healing in rats.