Involvement of endogenous hydrogen sulfide in cigarette smoke-induced changes in airway responsiveness and inflammation of rat lung.

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), recently considered the third endogenous gaseous transmitter, may have an important role in systemic inflammation. We investigated whether endogenous H₂S may be a crucial mediator in airway responsiveness and airway inflammation in a rat model of chronic exposure to cigarette smoke (CS). Rats randomly divided into control and CS-exposed groups were treated with or without sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, donor of H₂S) or propargylglycine (PPG, inhibitor of cystathionine-γ-lyase [CSE], an H₂S-synthesizing enzyme) for 4-month exposure. Serum H₂S level and CSE protein expression in lung tissue were higher, by 2.04- and 2.33-fold, respectively, in CS-exposed rats than in controls (P<0.05). Exogenous administration of NaHS to CS-exposed rats alleviated airway reactivity induced by acetylcholine (Ach) or potassium chloride (KCl) by 17.4% and 13.8%, respectively, decreased lung pathology score by 32.7%, inhibited IL-8 and TNF- α concentrations in lung tissue by 34.2% and 31.4%, respectively, as compared with CS-exposed rats (all P<0.05). However, blocking endogenous CSE with PPG in CS-exposed rats increased airway reactivity induced by Ach or KCl, by 24.1% and 24.5%, respectively, and aggravated lung pathology score, by 44.8%, as compared with CS-exposed rats (all P<0.01). Incubation in vitro with NaHS, 1-3 mmol/L, relaxed rat tracheal smooth muscle precontracted by Ach or KCl. However, the NaHS-induced relaxation was not blocked by glibenclamide (10⁻⁴ mol/L), L-NAME (10⁻⁴ mol/L), or ODQ (1 μmol/L) or denudation of epithelium. Endogenous H₂S may have a protective role of anti-inflammation and bronchodilation in chronic CS-induced pulmonary injury.