It has been confirmed that
inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of
ischemic stroke. The polarization of microglia as an important participant in the
inflammation following
stroke is also found to be involved in
stroke. This study aimed to investigate the effects of
hydrogen gas on the polarization of macrophages/microglia in vitro. Raw264.7 cells were treated with
lipopolysaccharides and then exposed to
hydrogen. The microglia were treated with the supernatant from
oxygen and
glucose deprivation-treated neurons and then exposed to
hydrogen. The phenotypes of Raw 264.7 cells and microglia were determined by flow cytometry, and cell morphology was observed. Results showed
lipopolysaccharides significantly increased the M1 macrophages, and the supernatant from
oxygen and
glucose deprivation-treated neurons dramatically elevated the proportion of M1 microglia, but both treatments had little influence on the M2 cells. In addition,
hydrogen treatment significantly inhibited the increase in M1 cells, but had no influence on M2 ones. Our findings suggest that the neuroprotection of
hydrogen may be related to its regulation of microglia in the nervous system after
stroke.