Smells like rotten eggs? You may be in suspended animation

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by William Atkins

Thursday, 27 March 2008

Page 2 of 2 Some of the mice were put in a room temperature environment (about 81 degrees Fahrenheit, or 27 degrees Celsius), while another group was placed in a warmer climate of 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). Related stories The researchers administered the hydrogen sulfide for six hours at a small dosage level of about eighty parts per million. The researchers found that oxygen in-take and carbon dioxide out-take were reduced within ten minutes of being administered the hydrogen sulfide, but those levels were increased within thirty minutes after hydrogen sulfide was removed. During the period of inhaling hydrogen sulfide the mice heart rates dropped, on average, by fifty percent, but without a dramatic chance in flood pressure, an important result. In addition, vital organs were found not to be adversely affected by the procedure. Both groups of mice, in the normal and warmer environments, had basically the same changes. Their conclusion was “Inhalation of H2S at either 27[degrees] or 35[degrees] C reversibly depresses cardiovascular function without changing blood pressure in mice. Breathing H2S also induces a rapidly reversible reduction of metabolic rate at either body temperature.” Gian Paolo Volpato, another author of the study, states, “Producing a reversible hypometabolic state could allow organ function to be preserved when oxygen supply is limited, such as after a traumatic injury.” Volpato, MD, an Anesthesiology research fellow at Mass General, adds, “We don’t know yet if these results will be transferable to humans, so our next step will be to study the use of hydrogen sulfide in larger mammals.” The other researchers involved in the study include Robert Searles, Binglan Yu, Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie, Kenneth Bloch, and Fumito Ichinose. The application of hydrogen sulfide in suspended animation has wide possible applications in the future. Patients in serious medical condition could be put into a suspended animation state while they are prepared for treatment and surgery. Scientists involved with space exploration have toyed with the idea of using suspended animation as a way for humankind to economically travel very long distances in space, such as on interplanetary and interstellar journeys. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to post your comment! Tags See All Tags Medicine  Research  Science  Space Exploration  Surgery  William Atkins  Get stories like this delivered daily - FREE - subscribe now << First page <   1 2 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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