Hydrogen sulfide: potent regulator of vascular tone and stimulator of angiogenesis

Hydrogen sulfide is the "third" gasotransmitter on the rise in cardiovascular research. Recent studies show that hydrogen sulfide has a great potential in the regulation of vascular tone of systemic arteries and many molecular targets are discussed. However, the complex mechanism of vascular tone regulation by hydrogen sulfide is only incompletely understood. It seems that a potent interaction of hydrogen sulfide with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) becomes important in angiogenesis, in the process of wound healing, but also in tumor angiogenesis. Hydrogen sulfide exerts anti-inflammatory effects and it could be a pharmacological target in vascular dysfunction in association with obesity-related hypertension as well as in tumor development and progression. However, the underlying molecular pathways still need to be revealed. This review primarily focuses on the regulatory role of hydrogen sulfide in controlling vascular tone. We attempt to provide recent insights into mechanisms by which CSE-dependent hydrogen sulfide plays a role in the regulation of vascular tone by perivascular adipose tissue. The role of KCNQ channels and other ionic permeation pathways as key targets will be discussed. Recent findings which are summarized in this paper provide new insights into molecular mechanisms of hydrogen sulfide that are crucial for understanding vascular dysfunction in cardiovascular disease and possibly angiogenesis. Future research will be extended to investigate the therapeutic potential of hydrogen sulfide and their targets such as KCNQ channels in cardiovascular diseases, angiogenesis and tumor genesis.