2019 · Bordoni — Positive Effect of an Electrolyzed Reduced Water on Gut Permeability, Fecal Microbiota and Liver in an Animal Model of Parkinson's Disease
Super-Abstract
In a rat model of Parkinson's disease induced by the pesticide permethrin, co-treatment with electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) protected the gut barrier, reduced liver inflammation, and shifted the gut microbiota toward a healthier profile. ERW-treated animals showed lower intestinal permeability, more butyrate-producing bacteria, and fewer inflammatory markers in the liver than untreated Parkinson's model rats. These are animal findings and cannot be directly transferred to humans. (PLoS ONE, 2019.)
Commentary
This animal study builds on earlier work by the same group using a permethrin-exposure rat model to mimic early Parkinson's disease pathology. Bordoni et al. explore the gut–liver–brain axis by measuring intestinal permeability (FITC-dextran assay), tight-junction proteins (occludin, ZO-1), hepatic inflammation (iNOS, neutrophil infiltrates), and fecal microbiota composition. ERW — which contains dissolved molecular hydrogen — appeared protective across all three compartments. Notably, the microbiota shifts (more Lachnospira and butyrate-producing genera in the ERW group) suggest a prebiotic-like effect on the gut ecosystem. The link to Parkinson's disease progression is mechanistically plausible but remains speculative at this stage; no behaviour or motor outcomes were assessed here. An important caveat: ERW contains both H₂ and altered mineral composition, so attributing all effects solely to H₂ requires further controlled experiments.
Key quotes
- „Increased gut permeability, measured by FITC-dextran assay, was detected in PERM group compared to control and PERM+ERW groups.“ — ERW co-treatment preserved intestinal barrier integrity in the Parkinson's model
- „Number of inflammatory focis and neutrophils as well as iNOS protein levels were higher in livers of PERM-treated rats than in those of PERM+ERW and control rats.“ — hepatic inflammation was reduced by ERW
- „Higher abundances of butyrate-producing bacteria such as Blautia, U.m. of Lachnospiraceae family … together with higher butyric acid levels were detected in PERM+ERW group compared to the other groups.“ — ERW shifted microbiota toward butyrate producers — potentially beneficial for gut and brain
Our assessment
This is an animal study (rat) — results are not directly transferable to humans. The design is carefully controlled (three groups: control, PERM, PERM+ERW) and uses established assays. The findings are biologically coherent: gut permeability, hepatic inflammation, and microbiota composition all moved in a favourable direction with ERW. Honest limitations: (1) ERW is a complex mixture, not pure H₂ water; (2) no motor or behavioural Parkinson's endpoints were measured in this paper; (3) the permethrin model approximates early Parkinson's but is not a validated gold-standard model of the human disease; (4) n per group is not explicitly stated in the abstract — statistical power is unclear. The work is hypothesis-generating and supports further investigation.
Study design
- Type: controlled animal experiment · Model: rat (permethrin-induced Parkinson's model, postnatal days 6–21 exposure, analysis at 2 months) · H₂ delivery: electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) given as gavage co-treatment
- Outcome measures: intestinal permeability (FITC-dextran), tight-junction proteins (occludin, ZO-1), hepatic inflammation (iNOS, neutrophil foci), fecal microbiota (16S-based composition), butyric acid levels
- Result: ERW co-treatment preserved gut barrier integrity, reduced liver inflammation, and increased butyrate-producing bacteria compared to permethrin-only group; microbiota profile in PERM+ERW resembled controls
Abstract
There is growing awareness within the scientific community of the strong connection between the inflammation in the intestine and the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). In previous studies we developed a PD animal model exposing pup rats to permethrin (PERM) pesticide. Here, we intended to explore whether in our animal model there were changes in gut permeability, fecal microbiota and hepatic injury. Moreover, we tested if the co-treatment with an electrolyzed reduced (ERW) was effective to protect against alterations induced by PERM. Rats (from postnatal day 6 to 21) were gavaged daily with PERM, PERM+ERW or vehicle and gut, liver and feces were analyzed in 2-months-old rats. Increased gut permeability, measured by FITC-dextran assay, was detected in PERM group compared to control and PERM+ERW groups. In duodenum and ileum, concentration of occludin was higher in control group than those measured in PERM group, whereas only in duodenum ZO-1 was higher in control than those measured in PERM and PERM+ERW groups. Number of inflammatory focis and neutrophils as well as iNOS protein levels were higher in livers of PERM-treated rats than in those of PERM+ERW and control rats. Fecal microbiota analysis revealed that Lachnospira was less abundant and Defluviitaleaceae more abundant in the PERM group, whereas the co-treatment with ERW was protective against PERM treatment since the abundances in Lachnospira and Defluviitaleaceae were similar to those in the control group. Higher abundances of butyrate- producing bacteria such as Blautia, U.m. of Lachnospiraceae family, U.m. of Ruminococcaceae family, Papillibacter, Roseburia, Intestinimonas, Shuttleworthia together with higher butyric acid levels were detected in PERM+ERW group compared to the other groups. In conclusion, the PD animal model showed increased intestinal permeability together with hepatic inflammation correlated with altered gut microbiota. The positive effects of ERW co-treatment observed in gut, liver and brain of rats were linked to changes on gut microbiota.
Source & links
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