'Rotten eggs' in the blood

April 29, 2008

Hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) is a gas most commonly associated with the smell of stink bombs, sewage and rotten eggs, but a team of researchers from the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England and King’s College London have now identified a role for this gas in regulating blood pressure, according to research published today in the leading science journal Circulation.

The research team has previously shown that H₂S is produced naturally within our bodies, along with other gaseous molecules such as nitric oxide and that a balance between these gases relates to good health, whereas an imbalance could indicate disease. In the case of high blood pressure, a reduction in nitric oxide results in increased blood pressure, while H₂S may counteract this.

H₂S works by relaxing vascular tissue and improving the flexibility of veins and arteries, making for a smoother flow of blood around the body. In the past, limited studies on H₂S could be performed as the only approach available to researchers was to use H₂S gas from a cylinder or the highly toxic compound sodium hydrosulphide (NaHS), often administered as a bolus.

However, the research team from the Peninsula Medical School and King’s College have synthesised a new molecule which would allow H₂S to be released into the body in a more controllable and regulated manner. The result is a slow-releasing H₂S donor molecule which can be used to model the effects of naturally produced H₂S and allow researchers to further understand the role H₂S has in the body during health and disease.

Prof. Philip K. Moore from King’s College commented: “The enzymes that make H₂S in the body do so slowly. Therefore, generating H₂S in a slow and sustained manner may be a better way to study the physiology and pathophysiology of H₂S in man than previously used approaches”.

Dr. Matt Whiteman from the Peninsula Medical School added: “These are exciting times. We are only just starting to unravel the surprising role H₂S has in the body not only in the cardiovascular system but also its role in inflammation, neurodegeneration and diabetes, as well as its role in health”.

Source: The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry