Hydrogen Sulfide Regulates Vascular Inflammation and its Related Signaling Pathways

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is regarded as one of the air pollutants with a rotten egg smell. However, it is recently discovered that endogenous H2S has important physiological and pathological functions. Cystathionine- β synthase (CBS) and cystathionine- γ lyase (CSE) play key roles in the synthesis of H2S, and CSE is also a major H2S-formation enzyme in the cardiovascular system. Vascular inflammation is one of the most important pathological processes in a variety of vascular diseases. The present review aimed at exploring the role of hydrogen sulfide and its signaling in vascular inflammation during vascular diseases including atherosclerosis, systemic hypertension, pulmonary hypertension (PAH), and vascular balloon injury.