High-concentration hydrogen mitigates cognitive impairment in a murine model of Sepsis-associated encephalopathy by enhancing oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination in the mPFC

Yu J, Qi W, Li F, Chang B, Wang Zengkun, Kan Y, Yu Yonghao, Yu Yang · 2026 · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · Atlas ID YU2026

What this study shows

In a mouse model of sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE), mTOR hyperactivation impairs oligodendrocyte maturation and causes cognitive deficits; hydrogen gas and rapamycin suppress mTOR, restore myelination, and improve cognition in these mice.

Abstract

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Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) commonly elicits long-lasting cognitive deterioration. This study investigates whether high-concentration (67%) hydrogen gas protects against SAE by promoting oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). mTOR hyperactivation in the mPFC of SAE mice impeded oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) differentiation, triggered hypomyelination, and precipitated cognitive dysfunction.

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At a glance

Evidence type	A Animal model Marked A because it is an animal intervention or observation study measuring an organismal outcome (model: Mouse (CLP-induced SAE model)); the code names the system studied -- animal work can be rigorous and still not be human data.
Study type	4 - Animal Study
Model system	Mouse (CLP-induced SAE model)
Journal	Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
Year	2026
Peer reviewed	Yes
Record last updated	2026-08-22
Source	DOI 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2026.111892

Extracted findings

Intervention	67% Hydrogen gas; Rapamycin; NV-5138 (mTOR agonist)
Target	mTOR pathway; oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation; myelination
Model	Mouse
Effect	In mice, mTOR hyperactivation blocks OPC differentiation and myelination causing cognitive decline; hydrogen + rapamycin suppress mTOR and restore cognition

Cite this paper

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Yu, J., Qi, W., Li, F., Chang, B., Wang Zengkun, Kan, Y., Yu Yonghao, & Yu Yang (2026). High-concentration hydrogen mitigates cognitive impairment in a murine model of Sepsis-associated encephalopathy by enhancing oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination in the mPFC. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2026.111892

@article{YU2026,
  author       = {Yu, J. and Qi, W. and Li, F. and Chang, B. and Wang Zengkun and Kan, Y. and Yu Yonghao and Yu Yang},
  title        = {{High-concentration hydrogen mitigates cognitive impairment in a murine model of Sepsis-associated encephalopathy by enhancing oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination in the mPFC}},
  journal      = {Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.pnpbp.2026.111892},
}

Cite this Atlas record

The record is the Atlas's own work — the evidence label, the extracted findings and the links. It is cited as part of the dataset, not as the paper.

Barton, O. (2026). Oliver's mTOR Atlas (record YU2026) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/YU2026/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_YU2026,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record YU2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/YU2026/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}