Hydrogen sulfide regulates arsenic-induced cell death in yeast cells by modulating the antioxidative system

Arsenic (As) is a metal with potentially toxic effects on different organisms. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) plays a vital role in mitigating heavy metal toxicity by reducing oxidative stress in plants and animals. However, the role of H₂S in alleviating arsenic toxicity in yeast cells remains unclear. In this study, the role of NaHS (exogenous physiological H₂S) in alleviating As-induced yeast cell death was investigated. Yeast cells in the logarithmic phase were pretreated with 0.05 mmol/L NaHS for 6 h, and then incubated in the YPD medium with or without 1 mmol/L As. After 12 h of treatment, relative survival rate, H₂S content, oxidative stress biomarkers, and antioxidant machinery were measured. Our results showed that sodium arsenite-induced yeast cell death and pretreatment with 0.05 mmol/L NaHS significantly alleviated sodium arsenite-induced cell death. Under sodium arsenite conditions, the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) increased, accompanied by the inhibition of the catalase (CAT) activity and the downregulation of CTT1 expression. However, the activities of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathion peroxidase (GPX) increased, and the expression of SOD1 and GPX2 was markedly upregulated in the group treated with sodium arsenite. When yeast cells were pretreated with NaHS, the intracellular ROS and MDA levels decreased significantly, and the activities of SOD, CAT, and GPX increased significantly. This was associated with a significant increase in relative survival rate and H₂S content compared to the arsenic treatment alone. Our findings indicate that NaHS alleviates sodium arsenite-induced yeast cell death, mainly by enhancing the antioxidant defense system.