The Discovery and Physiological Importance of Hydrogen Sulfide

With its repulsive odor, H₂S appears to be nothing but a noxious “rotten-egg” gas. Quite contrary to this conventional notion, our bodies in fact produce H₂S and we are what we smell. In this talk, I will highlight some most promising and intriguing discoveries in H₂S biology and medicine, including the endogenous production of H₂S in the vascular system, catalized by catalysed by cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE).  I will also address on the roles of H₂S in the regulation of blood pressure and endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, differential regulation of cell proliferation, ion channel functions, and mitochondrial bioenergetics. Collectively, the ability of the CSE/H₂S pathway to regulate the cardiovascular functions suggests that that the smelly hydrogen sulfide gas is so critical to our health that we cannot live without it. (Supported by research grants from Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Institutes of Health Research of Canada)