Hydrogen sulfide and the metabolic syndrome

Abstract

The metabolic syndrome is a group of abnormalities including obesity, high blood pressure, hyperinsulinemia, high blood glucose levels and hyperlipidemia that together greatly increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is a vasodilatory gasotransmitter mediator in the cardiovascular system, proposed as an endothelium-derived relaxing factor. A lack of H₂S and its synthesizing enzyme, cystathionine γ-lyase, in the vasculature causes hypertension, whereas an increase in the pancreas reduces insulin secretion. Thus, research is making inroads to determine whether H₂S is involved in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome. Several laboratories are synthesizing and testing clinically used drugs that release H₂S. Some of these compounds are being tested for effectiveness in the metabolic syndrome.

Keywords::

• diabetes
• hydrogen sulfide
• hypertension
• metabolic syndrome
• obesity

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.