The Role of Hydrogen Sulfide-Derived Perivascular Adipose Tissue in Vascular Diseases

Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is a metabolically active, endocrine organ that plays a crucial role in regulating blood vessel tone, endothelial function, vascular smooth muscle cell growth, and proliferation and contributes significantly to the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases. In a healthy state, PVAT displays anticontractile, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative properties, which are critical for maintaining vascular homeostasis. However, under certain pathophysiological conditions, PVAT exerts pro-contractile effects by decreasing the production of anticontractile and/or increasing that of pro-contractile factors. In this context, recent studies have identified hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) as a key vascular anti-contractile factor released from PVAT. The enzymes responsible for H₂S biosynthesis are differentially expressed in PVAT, depending on the vascular bed and species, and their function can be altered by metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. These alterations can influence H₂S signalling, further contributing to vascular dysfunction. PVAT-derived H₂S may have particular importance in obesity-related vascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes as it has direct paracrine effects on the vasculature. Understanding the role of PVAT-derived H₂S in both healthy and diseased states may provide new insights into preventing vascular dysfunction associated with PVAT changes. The dissection of the specific contributions of each enzyme involved in PVAT-derived H₂S biosynthesis could be relevant to fully understanding the complex role of H₂S in vascular health vs vascular disease. Further research into modulating PVAT-derived H₂S provides an exciting avenue to explore novel pharmacological targets against vascular disease pathogenesis.