Role of Hydrogen Sulfide in the Treatment of Fibrosis

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is a biological gas, the abnormal metabolism of which has associations with the pathogenesis of fibrosis. The purpose of this paper was to determine the potential of H(2)S in the prevention and treatment of fibrosis. The data is obtained mainly from articles found in the PubMed database using the keywords "fibrosis" and "hydrogen sulfide," limiting the results to those published within the last 10 years. Some additional resources have also been used, such as books and articles within journals. Evidence of decreased H(2)S enzyme levels in animal models with fibrotic diseases has been found. The protective role of H(2)S has been validated by the administration of exogenous H(2)S donors in animal models with fibrosis. It is also evident that H(2)S is involved in complex signaling pathways and ion channels that inhibit fibrosis development. These findings support the role of H(2)S in the treatment of a variety of fibrotic diseases. A randomized controlled trial in fibrosis patients comparing the efficacy of exogenous H(2)S and placebo in addition to standard of care can be implemented to validate this further.