Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology
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J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. · Jan 2006
Endogenous hydrogen sulfide contributes to the cardioprotection by metabolic inhibition preconditioning in the rat ventricular myocytes.
The possible role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in cardioprotection was investigated in isolated rat ventricular myocytes exposed to severe metabolic inhibition (MI) in glucose-free buffer containing 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DOG), an inhibitor of glycolysis. Pretreatment (30 min) with NaHS (a H2S donor) at concentrations of 10(-5) to 10(-4) mol/L caused a concentration related increase in cell viability and the ratio of rod-shaped cells. A time course study showed that NaHS-induced cardioprotection occurred in 2 time windows (approximately 1 h and 16-28 h). ⋯ The cardioprotective effects of NaHS were significantly attenuated by glibenclamide and HMR-1098 treatment but not by 5-HD. Inhibition of NO production with L-NG nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) also attenuated the cardioprotection of NaHS. In conclusion, our findings provide the first evidence that H2S may protect the heart most probably by activating sarcolemmal KATP channels and/or provoking NO release and the cardioprotective effects of metabolic ischemic preconditioning is, at least partially, mediated by endogenous H2S.