Trends in HS-Donors Chemistry and Their Effects in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is an endogenous gasotransmitter recently emerged as an important regulatory mediator of numerous human cell functions in health and in disease. In fact, much evidence has suggested that hydrogen sulfide plays a significant role in many physio-pathological processes, such as inflammation, oxidation, neurophysiology, ion channels regulation, cardiovascular protection, endocrine regulation, and tumor progression. Considering the plethora of physiological effects of this gasotransmitter, the protective role of HS donors in different disease models has been extensively studied. Based on the growing interest in HS-releasing compounds and their importance as tools for biological and pharmacological studies, this review is an exploration of currently available HS donors, classifying them by the HS-releasing-triggered mechanism and highlighting those potentially useful as promising drugs in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.