RETRACTED: Protective Effects of Hydrogen on Myocardial Mitochondrial Functions in Septic Mice (Retracted Article)

Enhancement of mitochondrial physiological function prevents sepsis-induced dysfunction. The present study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which hydrogen (H-2) affects mitochondrial function in a wild-type (WT) and homozygous nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) knockout (KO, Nrf2(-/-)) murine model of sepsis. In myocardial tissues with severe sepsis, H-2 gas treatment reduced mitochondrial dysfunction, whereas zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPPIX) negated these beneficial effects. H-2 treatment upregulated the protein expression of mitofusin-2 (Mfn2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1 alpha), and protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in WT mice with severe sepsis but not in their Nrf2(-/-) counterparts, and this upregulation was inhibited in the presence of ZnPPIX. In conclusion, the mechanism by which H-2 limits organ damage in mice with severe sepsis involves HO-1, whereas the mechanism that limits severe sepsis-related mitochondrial dysfunction involves both HO-1 and Nrf2.