The role of nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide in spinal cord injury: an updated review.

Medical gases play an important role in the pathophysiology of human diseases and have received extensive attention for their role in neuroprotection. Common pathological mechanisms of spinal cord injury include excitotoxicity, inflammation, cell death, glial scarring, blood-spinal cord barrier disruption, and ischemia/reperfusion injury. Nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide are important gaseous signaling molecules in living organisms; their pathological role in spinal cord injury models has received more attention in recent years. This study reviews the possible mechanisms of spinal cord injury and the role of nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide in spinal cord injury.