Therapeutic application of hydrogen sulfide donors: the potential and challenges

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), a colorless gas smelling of rotten egg, has long been considered a toxic gas and environment hazard. However, evidences show that H₂S plays a great role in many physiological and pathological activities, and it exhibits different effects when applied at various doses. In this review, we summarize the chemistry and biomedical applications of H₂S-releasing compounds, including inorganic salts, phosphorodithioate derivatives, derivatives of Allium sativum extracts, derivatives of thioaminoacids, and derivatives of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Keywords

hydrogen sulfide / cardiovascular / cancer / hypertension

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Compliance with ethics guidelines

Dan Wu, Qingxun Hu, and Yizhun Zhu declare that they have no conflicts of interest. This manuscript is a review article and does not involve a research protocol requiring approval by the relevant institutional review board or ethics committee.

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