Emerging role of hydrogen sulfide in hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases

TY - JOUR

T1 - Emerging role of hydrogen sulfide in hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases

AU - Meng, Guoliang

AU - Ma, Yan

AU - Xie, Liping

AU - Ferro, Albert

AU - Ji, Yong

PY - 2015/12/1

Y1 - 2015/12/1

N2 - Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has traditionally been viewed as a highly toxic gas; however, recent studies have implicated H2S as a third member of the gasotransmitter family, exhibiting properties similar to NO and carbon monoxide. Accumulating evidence has suggested that H2S influences a wide range of physiological and pathological processes, among which blood vessel relaxation, cardioprotection and atherosclerosis have been particularly studied. In the cardiovascular system, H2S production is predominantly catalyzed by cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE). Decreased endogenous H2S levels have been found in hypertensive patients and animals, and CSE-/- mice develop hypertension with age, suggesting that a deficiency in H2S contributes importantly to BP regulation. H2S supplementation attenuates hypertension in different hypertensive animal models. The mechanism by which H2S was originally proposed to attenuate hypertension was by virtue of its action on vascular tone, which may be related to effects on different ion channels. Both H2S and NO cause vasodilatation and there is cross-talk between these two molecules to regulate BP. Suppression of oxidative stress may also contribute to antihypertensive effects of H2S. This review also summarizes the state of research on H2S and hypertension in China. A better understanding of the role of H2S in hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases will allow novel strategies to be devised for their treatment.

AB - Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has traditionally been viewed as a highly toxic gas; however, recent studies have implicated H2S as a third member of the gasotransmitter family, exhibiting properties similar to NO and carbon monoxide. Accumulating evidence has suggested that H2S influences a wide range of physiological and pathological processes, among which blood vessel relaxation, cardioprotection and atherosclerosis have been particularly studied. In the cardiovascular system, H2S production is predominantly catalyzed by cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE). Decreased endogenous H2S levels have been found in hypertensive patients and animals, and CSE-/- mice develop hypertension with age, suggesting that a deficiency in H2S contributes importantly to BP regulation. H2S supplementation attenuates hypertension in different hypertensive animal models. The mechanism by which H2S was originally proposed to attenuate hypertension was by virtue of its action on vascular tone, which may be related to effects on different ion channels. Both H2S and NO cause vasodilatation and there is cross-talk between these two molecules to regulate BP. Suppression of oxidative stress may also contribute to antihypertensive effects of H2S. This review also summarizes the state of research on H2S and hypertension in China. A better understanding of the role of H2S in hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases will allow novel strategies to be devised for their treatment.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84949492191&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/bph.12900

DO - 10.1111/bph.12900

M3 - Review article

C2 - 25204754

AN - SCOPUS:84949492191

SN - 0007-1188

VL - 172

SP - 5501

EP - 5511

JO - British Journal of Pharmacology

JF - British Journal of Pharmacology

IS - 23

ER -