The content of hydrogen sulfide in plasma of cirrhosis rats combined with portal hypertension and the correlation with indexes of liver function and liver fibrosis

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the content of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in plasma of cirrhosis rats combined with portal hypertension and the correlation with indexes of liver function and liver fibrosis. Thirty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group (NC), liver cirrhosis group (LC) and cirrhosis + propargylglycine (PPG) group (LC+PPG). Cirrhosis and portal hypertension were induced by carbon tetrachloride. Rats in LC+PPG group were intraperitoneally injected with H2S synthase inhibitor PPG for one week. Portal vein catheterization was used to measure portal vein pressure (PVP), and plasma H2S content was determined by deproteinization. Liver function was measured by automatic biochemical analyzer, and the fibrosis index was determined by radioimmunoassay. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression levels of type I and type III collagen mRNA in liver tissue. Compared with NC group, levels of plasma H2S were significantly decreased (P<0.01), while PVP, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), laminin (LN), hyaluronic acid (HA), and expression levels of type III procollagen (PC III) and type I and type III collagen mRNAs were significantly increased in LC and LC+PPG groups (P<0.01). Compared with LC group, levels of plasma H2S were significantly decreased (P<0.01), while PVP, ALT, AST, LN, HA, and expression levels of PC III and type I and type III collagen mRNAs in LC+PPG group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In conclusion, level of H2S was decreased and PVP was increased in cirrhosis rats, and H2S has the function of protecting liver function and anti-fibrosis.

Implications of hydrogen sulfide in liver pathophysiology: Mechanistic insights and therapeutic potential

“…The plasma H 2 S levels are lower in rats with liver fibrosis, and intraperitoneal injection of H 2 S synthase inhibitor propargylglycine (PPG) further promotes the fibrotic marker expression in the liver from liver cirrhosis group [85] . Both protein expressions of CSE and H 2 S content tend to be inhibited in liver fibrosis model induced by carbon tetrachloride [86] , [87] .…”

Hydrogen Sulfide as a Novel Regulatory Factor in Liver Health and Disease

“…In spite of current advancements in the treatment, orthotopic liver transplantation remains the only definite solution to end-stage cirrhosis [92, 94, 96]. Several studies have demonstrated that the mRNA and protein levels of hepatic CSE and the serum levels of H 2 S in rats are decreased in the cirrhosis group compared with those in the control group [18, 97, 98]. A hypothesis suggests that H 2 S may contribute to the pathogenesis of vascular dysfunction in cirrhosis [99].…”

Hydrogen sulfide and hepatic lipid metabolism – a critical pairing for liver health

“…The H 2 S pathway influences numerous processes throughout the body, and H 2 S has thus begun to be considered for the treatment of various disorders, particularly those affecting the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and respiratory systems and CNS (Wei et al ., 2017; Das et al ., 2018). Traditionally, two different approaches for modulating H 2 S levels have been used: enhancing H 2 S levels, through increased production or bioavailability for instance, and decreasing H 2 S levels, through inhibition of the enzymes responsible for H 2 S synthesis, for example (Li et al ., 2008; Caliendo et al ., 2010).…”