Unveiling Hydrogen Sulfide: A New Frontier in Neuroprotection and Neuromodulation

Sep 12, 2025Indian journal of clinical biochemistry : IJCB

Hydrogen Sulfide’s Potential Role in Protecting and Regulating the Brain

AI simplified

Alzheimers & Treatments on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is associated with neuroprotection and neuromodulation, showing promise in various neurological conditions.

HS is produced by enzymes such as cystathione beta-synthase and cystathione gamma-lyase, and exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
It may reduce oxidative stress and prevent neuronal injury by limiting cell death mechanisms and protecting mitochondria.
HS interacts with neurotransmitter systems, potentially influencing cognitive and motor activities through its effects on synaptic transmission and plasticity.
Preliminary evidence suggests HS could help in treating Alzheimer's disease by reducing amyloid-beta toxicity and improving cognitive performance.
In Parkinson's disease, HS appears to protect dopaminergic neurons and mitigate motor deficits.
HS has shown protective effects in ischemic stroke models by decreasing reactive oxygen species and inflammation.

AI simplified

Hydrogen sulfide (HS), once recognized as a harmful gas, is now emerging as a very significant biological substance with great emphasis on neuroprotection and neuromodulation. It has several functions within the nervous system, placing its physiological activities, biochemical characteristics as well as therapeutic possibilities to their proper perspective. Endogenously produced by cystathione beta-synthase (CBS), cystathione gamma-lyase (CSE), and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3-MST) enzymes, HS is a unique naturally occurring substance that contains multiple biological activities; it is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic. Such activity allows HS to reduce oxidative stress, which limits mechanisms of cell death and prevents disruption of mitochondria and thus neuronal injury. HS can also be regarded as a neuromodulator because it interacts with and affects the glutamatergic, dopaminergic and GABAergic systems at the synaptic level as well as on neurotransmitter systems and synapse dynamics. It modulates synaptic transmission and its plasticity which is essential for cognitive as well as motor activities and exhibits anti-inflammatory effects which are helpful in the progress of the neurodegenerative condition. Recently gathered some evidence emphasizes as well the possible use of HS in therapeutic interventions in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and stroke. In the models of Alzheimer's disease, HS is able to reduce the toxicity of amyloid-beta peptides and improve cognitive performance. In Parkinson's disease, it protects dopaminergic neurons and reduces the severity of motor deficits. Moreover, HS provides protection in ischemic stroke models through decrease of reactive oxygen species and inflammation. Clinical practice with HS-based therapies seems to have certain hurdles even if preclinical results are promising. Aside from stabilizing HS in a biologically active form, developing a delivery system for HS appears a challenge as well. This review will attempt to summarize the existing studies on HS as neuroprotective and neuromodulatory agents, and their avenues of future use and development. 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View full text (PDF) ↗View full text (HTML) ↗

Unveiling Hydrogen Sulfide: A New Frontier in Neuroprotection and Neuromodulation

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the alzheimers & treatments brief