Lymphocyte hydrogen sulfide production predicts intravenous immunoglobulin resistance in children with Kawasaki disease: A preliminary, single-center, case-control study

Diallyl trisulphide, a H2 S donor, compromises the stem cell phenotype and restores thyroid-specific gene expression in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells by targeting AKT-SOX2 axis

It is widely accepted that anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC), a rare, extremely aggressive malignant, is enriched by cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are closely related to the pathogenesis of ATC. In the present study, we demonstrated that diallyl trisulphide (DATS), a well-known hydrogen sulphide (H₂ S) donor, suppressed sphere formation and restored the expression of iodide-metabolizing genes in human ATC cells, which were associated with H₂ S generation. Two other H₂ S donors, NaHS and GYY4137, could also suppress the self-renewal properties of ATC cells in vitro. Compared with normal thyroid tissues and papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs), the elevated expressions of SOX2 and MYC, two cancer stem cell markers, in ATCs were validated in the combined Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohort. DATS decreased the expression of SOX2, which was mediated by H₂ S generation. Furthermore, knockdown of AKT or inhibition of AKT by DATS led to a decrease of SOX2 expression in ATC cells. AKT knockdown phenocopied restoration of thyroid-specific gene expression in ATC cells. Our data suggest that H₂ S donors treatment can compromise the stem cell phenotype and restore thyroid-specific gene expression of ATC cells by targeting AKT-SOX2 pathway, which may serve as a therapeutic strategy to intervene the CSC progression of ATC.

Gut microbiota and neuroinflammation in pathogenesis of hypertension: A potential role for hydrogen sulfide

Inflammation and gut dysbiosis are hallmarks of hypertension (HTN). Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important freely diffusing molecule that modulates the function of neural, cardiovascular and immune systems, and circulating levels of H2S are reduced in animals and humans with HTN. While most research to date has focused on H₂S produced endogenously by the host, H2S is also produced by the gut bacteria and may affect the host homeostasis. Here, we review an association between neuroinflammation and gut dysbiosis in HTN, with special emphasis on a potential role of H2S in this interplay.

Lymphocyte Hydrogen Sulfide Production Predicts Coronary Artery Lesions in Children with Kawasaki Disease: A Preliminary, Single-Center Study

To identify whether lymphocyte hydrogen sulfide production is a potential biomarker for predicting coronary artery lesions (CAL) in children with Kawasaki disease (KD). Eighty-six children with KD, 33 normal children and 43 children with fever from June 2016 to January 2019 in Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital were enrolled. Of 86 KD patients, 16 patients exhibited CAL. Lymphocyte hydrogen sulfide production was significantly greater in KD patients (13.7 ± 2.7) nmol/min/108 lymphocytes than in the controls (9.26 ± 3.33) nmol/min/108 lymphocytes and the fever group (8.21 ± 2.77) nmol/min/108 lymphocytes. The lymphocyte hydrogen sulfide production was greater in CAL patients than the non-CAL patients [(16.24 ± 1.81) vs. (13.12 ± 2.58), p < 0.001]. Receiver operating characteristic curve indicated when the lymphocyte hydrogen sulfide production was >15.285 nmol/min/108 lymphocytes, the sensitivity and specificity for predicting CAL at convalescence were 87.5% and 82.9%, respectively. Lymphocyte hydrogen sulfide production in the acute period is a potentially useful biomarker for predicting CAL in KD children.