Research article

A “philosophical molecule”: hydrogen may overcome
senescence and intractable diseases
Shin-ichi Hirano1, *, Yusuke Ichikawa1, Ryosuke Kurokawa1, Yoshiyasu Takefuji2, Fumitake Satoh1
1 MiZ Company Limited, Kamakura, Japan
2 Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Fujisawa, Japan*Correspondence to: Shin-ichi Hirano, DVM, PhD, s_hirano@e-miz.co.jp.
orcid: 0000-0002-8610-8922 (Shin-ichi Hirano)

Abstract
It has been revealed that the cause of senescence and diseases is associated with the reactive oxygen species “hydroxyl radicals” (·OH). Senescence and diseases may be overcome as long as we can scavenge •OH mostly produced in mitochondria. It is one and only one “molecularhydrogen” (H2) that can both penetrate into the mitochondria and scavenge the •OH. The H2 in the body can function in disease prevention andrecovery. H2 gas is explosive so that a safe hydrogen inhaler has to be developed for home use. We would like to advocate the great use of H2.
Key words: Google; Amazon; Facebook; Apple; hydroxyl radicals; mitochondria; molecular hydrogen; oxidation; reactive oxygen species;
reduction; rejuvenation; senescence
doi: 0000
How to cite this article: Hirano S, Ichikawa Y, Kurokawa R, Takefuji Y, Satoh F. A “philosophical molecule”: hydrogen may overcome senescence and intractable diseases. Med Gas Res. 2019;9(4):0-0.

INTRODUCTION

Although modern medicine has evolved so far with stalling
rapidly in the 21st century, large walls hinder the developmentof medicine. There are many diseases which cannot be cured
or healed by treatment based on “element reductionism.” Theelement reductionism is associated with one treatment. Manydiseases are caused not by single factor abnormalities but by
multiple factors with various mechanisms. These multiple
factors may not have been elucidated in modern medicine.
However, we have recently developed how we can breakthrough these challenges. A key solution lies in using molecularhydrogen (H2).
From a scientific standpoint, all activities of the molecules
can be called the exchange of electrons: “oxidation” and“reduction.” From the viewpoint of the longevity of theyouth, oxidation means “senescence” while reduction does“rejuvenation.” Life activity begins after the birth, andimmediately the oxidation proceeds. It means that “electronsare deprived” to be oxidized. H2, supplying electrons, canbe said that the reducing agent “rejuvenated material.”
Senescence and diseases can be interpreted as oxidative
phenomenon, rejuvenation and recovery as reductive one.
The substance with oxidizing maximizes the phenomenon. In
this paper, we propose the possibility that H2 will overcome
the senescence and intractable diseases from the viewpoint of
mitochondrial oxidation and reduction.

REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES AND MITOCHONDRIAWhat is the most potent oxidizing one? It is hydroxyl radicals(•OH). About 90% of reactive oxygen species (ROS) aregenerated in the mitochondria in the cells.1 The •OH havebeen generated in large quantities almost all within themitochondria. Mitochondria are the organs that create theenergy ATP that is necessary for our life activities.

Mitochondrial functions can be compared to the boilerof a steam locomotive. In the past, the term “boiler” as aword for locomotive originated from the fact that the boiler
occupied most of the body of the locomotive. In the same way,
mitochondria are energy generating organs for life activities
that must be necessary for life. Locomotives run with fuel,but in that case a large amount of soot, imperfect combustion
substance is generated. When energy conversion is performed,
the combustion efficiency is not perfect without exception. In
the mitochondria, when converting the incorporated material
into energy, about a few percent of the imperfect combustion
substance are produced. The imperfect combustion materials
are ROS. There are a variety of ROS that can be used usefully.
If they are not necessary for life, metabolic system to scavenge
by the use of enzymes has been constructed. However, in themitochondria of the generated ROS, there is only •OH thatcannot be reduced by any means. The •OH is generated in
the mitochondria, and can cause oxidation, senescence anddiseases. Because •OH has the strongest oxidizing power,and reacts with nucleic acids (DNA), lipids and proteins thatmake up our bodies and destroy them. This vandalism is anoxidative reaction. We do not know how to handle with •OH.
Antioxidants except H2 are not very effective especiallybecause of the impossibility into the cell and mitochondria. Weshould scavenge the •OH that produces in the mitochondria.
Is there any substance that can scavenge it? It is H2 that cansolve the vandalism of •OH.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE EQUIPMENT TO DELIVER H2 TO
OUR BODY

We have reported that drinking of H2 water produced in ourelectrolytic cell released a pioneering study to inhibit oxidative
disorders in the liver of rats in 2005.2 This is the first hydrogen
medicine paper in Japan. Two years later, a series of papers© 2019 Medical Gas Research | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow1Hirano et al. / Med Gas Res

on H2 began to emerge from other research institutes.3 We
have reported the equipment to deliver H2 to the living body.4,5H2 is capable to pass through all materials, because H2 isthe smallest molecule. Only H2 can pass through the cell
membrane and also pass the mitochondrial membrane, while
the other antioxidants cannot do that to scavenge the •OH. H2
has been reported to react with two kinds of strong ROS,3,6 i.e.,•OH and peroxynitrite (ONOO-).7 However, it is reported thatH2 reacts with ONOO- somewhat.3 The reactivity of H2 with
•OH is high and quick. As observed from the production ofH2 in the body (gut),8,9 it is completely harmless for the body.
H2 does not interfere with the metabolic system. Rather, H2
can scavenge the waste, •OH in soot that has occurred in themetabolic reaction, harmless and non-toxic. In conclusion, itis only H2 that can penetrate into the mitochondria and canalso scavenge •OH (Figure 1). Thereby, the H2 in the bodycan function in disease prevention and recovery.10-26 There isa possibility of longevity of youth.

GAFA AND PUBLIC ORGANIZATION IN THE US

There are many diseases which we cannot treat well. The
massive fund-raising of Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple(GAFA) is continuing to discover the cure for those diseases.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said that in the future, if anybody asks
what Apple’s greatest contribution to humankind is “health”
will be his answer.27
The wasteful medical treatment is rampant in the moderntherapy. The medical expense increase of the nation isspurred. As a solution, there is a “Choosing Wisely” in theUnited States. This is a public organization in Philadelphia ofUnited States, the United States Internal Medicine Specialist
Certification Organization Foundation (ABIM Foundation)
becomes the epicenter, bundling the medical Society of theUnited States, to announce a wasteful medical treatment. Forexample, United States Clinical Oncology Society, UnitedStates gastroenterological Society, United States PsychiatricSociety, United States Cardiology Association, United States

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Obstetrics and Gynecology Society, United States Pediatrics
Association, etc., the world’s first medical Association
has presented themselves with “the medical act that seems
unnecessary.”
How should we overcome various problems including
medical problems and social problems? As mentioned in thispaper, we would like to propose a safe H2 medical use withno adverse effects. H2 may be able to solve various problems
by combining with modern treatment or alone use in thefuture. This proposal does not deny the modern medicine
indiscriminately. Especially in acute diseases, the modern
medical treatments are very effective certainly. However,there are diseases due to chronic diseases and complex factorsthat cannot be covered by modern medicine. Up to now there
are more than 600 papers regarding the use of H2, includingabout 50 clinical trials papers. The use of H2 is indispensable
in the future, and we would like to advocate the promotion ofhydrogen medicine.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Ms. Yoko Satoh and Mr. Masatsugu Saitouof MiZ Company Limited, and Dr. Goh Matsuo for their excellent
advices in writing this manuscript.
Author contributions
SH, YT and FS designed and wrote the manuscript. YI and RK supported this study by giving advice and revised the manuscript. Allauthors read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflicts of interest
The authors have no conflicts of interests to declare.
Financial support
None.
Copyright license agreement
The Copyright License Agreement has been signed by all authors
before publication.
Plagiarism check
Checked twice by iThenticate.
Peer review
Externally peer reviewed.
Open access statement
This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under

Figure 1: “Molecular hydrogen” (H2) is the only molecule that can both enter the mitochondria and scavenge the hydroxyl radicals.
Note: Inhalation gas was prepared by mixing of H2 gas and air, where the H2 gas was produced by the electrolysis of water, and the concentration was controlled under
the detonation limit of the mixture of H2 gas and air (below 10% H2 concentration in the apparatus “Jobs-α").·OH: Hydroxyl radicals; PTSD: posttraumatic stress disorder.
2Medical Gas Research ¦ December ¦ Volume 9 ¦ Issue 4

Hirano et al. / Med Gas Res

the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, andbuild upon the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit
is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

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