Molecular hydrogen as a potential mediator of the antitumor effect of inulin consumption

Authors:
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Inulin consumption and dihydrogen (H2) administration both exert antitumor effects on preclinical models as well as in clinical trials. As H2 is one of the major byproducts of inulin fermentation by bacterial species of the gut microbiota (GM), we hypothesized that H2 could mediate the antitumor effects of inulin. To provide evidence in favor of this hypothesis, we first determined the pattern of H2-exposure to which mice are subjected after inulin administration and developed an inhaled hydrogen therapy (H2T) protocol replicating this pattern. We then compared the effects on circulating immunity of a two-week daily inulin gavage with those of the corresponding H2T. We also compared the effects of inulin supplementation to those of the corresponding H2T on implanted melanoma growth and infiltration by T lymphocytes. Inulin and H2T induced a similar increase in circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. In addition, both treatments similarly inhibited melanoma tumor growth. These results support a mechanism by which the H2 resulting from inulin fermentation by the GM diffuses across the intestinal barrier and stimulates the immunosurveillance responsible for the antitumor effect.
Funding Information
  • Université Grenoble Alpes
  • Université Grenoble Alpes, Cross Disciplinary Program (CDTools) “MyHealthCompanions”
  • Centre Hospitalier, Université Grenoble Alpes
  • French Ministry of higher Education, Reasearch and Innovation.

This publication has 79 references indexed in Scilit: