Knowledge of the biological effects of molecular hydrogen (H2), hydrogen gas, is constantly advancing, giving a reason for the optimism in several healthcare practitioners regarding the management of multiple diseases, including socially significant ones (malignant neoplasms, diabetes mellitus, viral hepatitis, mental and behavioral disorders). However, mechanisms underlying the biological effects of H2 are still being actively debated. In this review, we focus on mast cells as a potential target for H2 at the specific tissue microenvironment level. H2 regulates the processing of pro-inflammatory components of the mast cell secretome and their entry into the extracellular matrix; this can significantly affect the capacity of the integrated-buffer metabolism and the structure of the immune landscape of the local tissue microenvironment. The analysis performed highlights several potential mechanisms for developing the biological effects of H2 and offers great opportunities for translating the obtained findings into clinical practice.
Keywords: inflammation; local tissue microenvironment; mast cells; molecular hydrogen; reactive oxygen intermediates; secretome; specific mast cell proteases.