When heart and blood vessel fat from heart failure patients was treated with methylene blue, the amount of harmful reactive molecules (like hydrogen peroxide) it produced went down.
Scientific Claim
Incubation of human epicardial and perivascular adipose tissue with 0.1 µM methylene blue for 24 hours is associated with reduced production of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide, as measured by FOX assay and dihydroethidium fluorescence in tissue samples from 25 patients with heart failure.
Original Statement
“Ex vivo incubation with methylene blue (0.1 µM, 24 h) elicited a significant and comparable ROS reduction in both EAT and PVAT, confirming its antioxidant property in human cardiovascular adipose tissue.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
The claim is limited to the ex vivo tissue model and reports direct measurements of ROS reduction after MB exposure. The definitive verb is appropriate because the study does not claim systemic or clinical effects.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Methylene blue reduces monoamine oxidase expression and oxidative stress in human cardiovascular adipose tissue
The study found that a chemical called methylene blue, when applied to fat tissue around the heart of heart failure patients, lowered harmful oxygen molecules that damage cells—exactly what the claim says.