ObjectiveTo study the protective effect of saturated hydrogen saline against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and the related mechanism. MethodsRat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) models were established by thread ligation of the middle cerebral artery. The rats were sacrificed 24 h later. The cerebral infarction volume was determined by TTC staining, the water content in brain tissue by dry-wet weight method, the degree of cerebral cells by Nissl staining, and the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in the ischemic cerebral tissues by ELISA.ResultsCompared with control group, hydrogen saline decreased the brain water content and cerebral infarction volume, and increased the quantity of nissel’s body in the cortex; meanwhile, it also significantly decreased the concentrations of IL-1β and TNF-α in brain tissue(P<0.05).ConclusionHydrogen saline can alleviate the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, probably by inhibiting the inflammation response.