The role of methane in mammalian physiology-is it a gasotransmitter?

Mammalian methanogenesis is widely considered to be an exclusive sign of anaerobic microbial activity in the gastrointestinal tract. This commonly held view was challenged, however, when in vitro and in vivo investigations demonstrated the possibility of nonmicrobial methane formation in aerobic organisms, in plants and animals. The aim of this review is to discuss the available literature data on the biological role of methane. When we evaluate the significance of methane generation in the mammalian physiology, the question may be examined: is it a gas mediator? Overall the data do not fully support the gasotransmitter concept, but they do support the notion that methane liberation may be linked to redox regulation and may be connected with hypoxic events leading to, or associated with a mitochondrial dysfunction. In this respect, the available information suggests that hypoxia-induced methane generation may be a necessary phenomenon of aerobic life, and perhaps a surviving evolutionary trait in the eukaryote cell.