Press Release
Double-faced hydrogen sulfide
It is considered aharmfulgas. Now we are discovering its beneficial properties in cardiovascular diseases and also against certain forms of cancer.
Naples, 6 June 2016– It is considered a harmful gas, and yet, hydrogen sulfide, the gas with a rotten egg smell, can have beneficial effects in fighting against various diseases ranging from cardiovascular disease to cancer.
“Hydrogen sulfide is a molecule also produced by the body which causes vasodilatation involving both the smooth muscles and the vascular tissue. Due to these properties it is able to prevent the onset of a broad spectrum of diseases, such as ictus, heart attack, diabetes, arthritis, dementia, ageing and even erectile dysfunction”, explained Giuseppe Cirino, Professor of Pharmacology at the Federico II University of Naples, and Chairman of the “4th International Conference on the Biology of Hydrogen Sulfide”, which recently took place in Naples.
This international meeting, held for the first time in Italy, was organized by the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Federico II University of Naples and promoted by the Fondazione Internazionale Menarini
“For a long time hydrogen sulfide has been considered a toxic gas, and in any case a polluting agent present in the atmosphere. Only recently have the pharmacological properties of this molecule been described and it can now be considered the third gaseous mediator to be identified“, continued Cirino.
“Hydrogen sulfide is a valid candidate, especially in the treatment of various cardiovascular diseases. There are currently numerous studies that demonstrated its powerful effects in case of acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, peripheral vasculopathy and cerebrovascular diseases, while other different sectors of research are also opening up”.
In fact, new studies are highlighting how hydrogen sulfide has an effect on numerous elements of the inflammatory cascade, and how it contributes significantly to defending the gastrointestinal tract and fighting infection. Thanks to its antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, hydrogen sulfide could also be used in viral respiratory diseases, such as infection from the syncytial virus, but also respiratory diseases of allergic origin, first and foremost, asthma, as well as those of bacterial origin, such as tuberculosis.
Another interesting field of research concerns the role of hydrogen sulfide in the development of certain tumors. An increase in the production of hydrogen sulfide is observed in colorectal and ovarian cancer as it intervenes in the proliferation and migration of the cancer cells. Thanks to these observations, aminooxyacetic acid-based drugs are being studied that are able to inhibit this mechanism.
And in Naples, promising studies are being conducted on the relationship between hydrogen sulfide and melanomas, the main skin cancer. “The effects of hydrogen sulfide on this cancer are controversial and still not clear. Many biological responses to hydrogen sulfide follow a dose-related response: while low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide are responsible for physiological and cytoprotective effects, high concentrations turn out to be cytotoxic”, warns Angela Ianaro, Professor of Pharmacology at the Federico II University of Naples. “The production of hydrogen sulfide plays a role in the accumulation and proliferation of the cells and it could support the grounds for the development of a new approach to the conditions associated with uncontrolled cell growth. Some derivatives of hydrogen sulfide could turn out to be new potential agents in the treatment of metastatic melanoma and thus represent a promising strategy for fighting this cancer”.
Lastly, hydrogen sulfide could help attenuate the harmful effects of cisplatin, one of the chemotherapy drugs used to treat various forms of cancer. Unfortunately, the clinical use of cisplatin is accompanied by severe side effects, such as nephrotoxicity. According to recent studies, some derivatives of hydrogen sulfide greatly attenuate cellular damage in the kidney cells caused by cisplatin, without however reducing its chemotherapeutic effect.
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