Cardioprotective effect of hydrogen sulfide in ischemic reperfusion experimental rats and its influence on expression of survivin gene.

Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S), as an endogenous gas signaling molecule with important biological function that has been found recently, may play a protection in ischemic reperfusion (I/R) myocardium. We investigated the cardioprotective effect of H(2)S in rats model of ischemic reperfusion in vivo and a probably influence on the expression of survivin, an anti-apoptosis gene. Animals were randomly divided into 3 groups and received either vehicle, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) or DL-propargylglycine (PAG) respectively everyday for 1 week before surgery and the treatment continued for a further 2 d after I/R till the animals were sacrificed. We investigated the plasma H(2)S concentration and blood pressure, with the electrocardiogram (ECG) together, to prove the effect of H(2)S to the heart function. We also compared the heart infarct size and the expression of an anti-apoptosis gene, survivin, among groups. As the data shown, the NaHS group had great improvement in blood pressure and electrocardiogram situation. And the remarkable shrink of the infarct size and up-regulation of survivin in NaHS group comparing with the other two groups also showed the cardio protective effect of H(2)S in our study.