Can hydrogen retard the progression of osteoarthritis?

There is a direct relationship between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Hydrogen is considered as a selective antioxidant, which can neutralize the superfluous ROS. This investigation aimed to describe whether hydrogen can be used as a new treatment to retard the progression of OA based on recent studies. The peer-reviewed literature published prior to July, 2011 in the PubMed database was searched using pre-defined search criteria. Articles, published in English, were selected for their relevance to ROS, hydrogen or OA. The pathogenesis of OA is multifactor. Studies have revealed that ROS can contribute to the onset and progression of OA by inducing indispensable chondrocyte death and matrix degradation. Meanwhile, hydrogen is considered to be a selective antioxidant and can be used as a kind of therapeutic medical gas which has recently been explored in animal model and in clinic. We propose a hypothesis that hydrogen may be a new treatment to retard the progression of OA, although further researches need to be carried out in vivo or clinical studies.   Key words: Osteoarthritis, chondrocytes, cartilage, hydrogen, reactive oxygen species.