C. Dello Russo et al., Evidence that hydrogen sulphide can modulate hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenalaxis function: In vitro and in vivo studies in the rat, J NEUROENDO, 12(3), 2000, pp. 225-233
The gas hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is normally produced in large amounts in th
e central nervous system during the metabolism of sulphur-containing aminoa
cidis. H2S was recently shown to influence long-term potentiation in the ra
t hippocampus; this finding suggested that the gas may act as a neuromodula
tor in the brain. We therefore tested the effect of the gas on the release
of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from rat hypothalamic explants. CR
H immunoreactivity in the incubation media was taken as a marker of peptide
release, We found that the addition of NaHS to incubation media was consis
tently associated with a concentration-dependent decrease in KCI-stimulated
CRH release, whereas basal secretion was unaffected. Increased endogenous
H2S production may be also obtained using an indirect precursor of H2S form
ation, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe). The latter mimicked the effects of N
aHS, since it reduced potassium-stimulated CRH release, In vivo, SAMe showe
d no effect on hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function under resting c
onditions, but inhibited stress-related glucocorticoid increase.