Hydrogen sulfide: from the smell of the past to the mediator of the future?

Gases such as nitric oxide and carbon monoxide play important roles both in normal physiology and in disease. In recent years, interest has been directed towards other naturally occurring gases, notably hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S), which is both a potent vasodilator and a mediator of long-term potentiation in the brain. This article focuses on recent work that suggests a role for H(2)S, and perhaps other gases, in the CNS and cardiovascular system.