Role of hydrogen sulfide in health and disease

In the past, hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) was recognized as a toxic and dangerous gas; in recent years, with increased research, we have discovered that H₂S can act as an endogenous regulatory transmitter. In mammals, H₂S-catalyzing enzymes, such as cystathionine-β-synthase, cystathionine-γ-lyase, and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase, are differentially expressed in a variety of tissues and affect a variety of biological functions, such as transcriptional and posttranslational modification of genes, activation of signaling pathways in the cell, and metabolic processes in tissues, by producing H₂S. Various preclinical studies have shown that H₂S affects physiological and pathological processes in the body. However, a detailed systematic summary of these roles in health and disease is lacking. Therefore, this review provides a thorough overview of the physiological roles of H₂S in different systems and the diseases associated with disorders of H₂S metabolism, such as ischemia-reperfusion injury, hypertension, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer. Meanwhile, this paper also introduces H₂S donors and novel release modes, as well as the latest preclinical experimental results, aiming to provide researchers with new ideas to discover new diagnostic targets and therapeutic options.