Open AccessTherapeutic effect of methane and its mechanism in disease treatment
Author(s) -
Zhou-Heng Ye,
Ke Ning,
Bradley P. Ander,
Xuejun Sun
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of zhejiang university. science b
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1862-1783
pISSN - 1673-1581
DOI - 10.1631/jzus.b1900629
Subject(s) - methane , anaerobic oxidation of methane , mechanism (biology) , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Methane is the simplest hydrocarbon, consisting of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. It is abundant in marsh gas, livestock rumination, and combustible ice. Little is known about the use of methane in human disease treatment. Current research indicates that methane is useful for treating several diseases including ischemia and reperfusion injury, and inflammatory diseases. The mechanisms underlying the protective effects of methane appear primarily to involve anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and anti-apoptosis. In this review, we describe the beneficial effects of methane on different diseases, summarize possible mechanisms by which methane may act in these conditions, and discuss the purpose of methane production in hypoxic conditions. Then we propose several promising directions for the future research.