H2S cytotoxicity mechanism involves reactive oxygen species formation and mitochondrial depolarisation.

A number of scavengers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were found to be protective against cell death induced by hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in isolated hepatocytes. The H2O2 scavengers alpha-ketoglutarate and pyruvate, which also act as energy substrate metabolites, were more protective against H2S toxicity than lactate which is only an energy substrate metabolite. All of these results suggest that H2S toxicity is dependent on ROS production. We measured ROS formation directly in hepatocytes using the fluorogenic dichlorofluorescin method. H2S-induced ROS formation was dose dependent and pyruvate inhibited this ROS production. Non-toxic concentrations of H2S enhanced the cytotoxicity of H2O2 generated by glucose/glucose oxidase, which was inhibited by CYP450 inibitors. Furthermore, hepatocyte ROS formation induced by H2S was decreased by CYP450 inhibitors cimetidine and benzylimidazole. These results suggest that CYP450-dependant metabolism of H2S is responsible for inducing ROS production. H2S-induced cytotoxicity was preceded by mitochondrial depolarization as measured by rhodamine 123 fluorescence. Mitochondrial depolarization induced by H2S was prevented by zinc, methionine and pyruvate all of which decreased H2S-induced cell death. Treatment of H2S poisoning may benefit from interventions aimed at minimizing ROS-induced damage and reducing mitochondrial damage.