Comparative Study of Different HS Donors as Vasodilators and Attenuators of Superoxide-Induced Endothelial Damage.

In the last years, research proofs have confirmed that hydrogen sulfide (HS) plays an important role in various physio-pathological processes, such as oxidation, inflammation, neurophysiology, and cardiovascular protection; in particular, the protective effects of HS in cardiovascular diseases were demonstrated. The interest in HS-donating molecules as tools for biological and pharmacological studies has grown, together with the understanding of HS importance. Here we performed a comparative study of a series of HS donor molecules with different chemical scaffolds and HS release mechanisms. The compounds were tested in human serum for their stability and ability to generate HS. Their vasorelaxant properties were studied on rat aorta strips, and the capacity of the selected compounds to protect NO-dependent endothelium reactivity in an acute oxidative stress model was tested. HS donors showed different HS-releasing kinetic and produced amounts and vasodilating profiles; in particular, compound was able to attenuate the dysfunction of relaxation induced by pyrogallol exposure, showing endothelial protective effects. These results may represent a useful basis for the rational development of promising HS-releasing agents also conjugated with other pharmacophores.