研究人员制造出了一种编码CSE的基因被靶向剔除的小鼠。研究人员观察到，这些小鼠的血清、心脏、主动脉和其它组织中的硫化氢水平急剧地减少。这些缺乏CSE的突变的小鼠在大约7周大的时候开始出现显著的高血压，它们对促进血管松弛的治疗反应也受到损害。
研究人员的结果表明，硫化氢和一氧化氮一样是一种能够调节血压的气体。这为人们治疗血管性疾病开辟了一条新的途径。
原始出处：
Science 24 October 2008: 587-590.
H2S as a Physiologic Vasorelaxant: Hypertension in Mice with Deletion of Cystathionine γ-Lyase
Guangdong Yang, Lingyun Wu, Bo Jiang, Wei Yang, Jiansong Qi, Kun Cao, Qinghe Meng, Asif K. Mustafa, Weitong Mu, Shengming Zhang, Solomon H. Snyder, and Rui Wang
Studies of nitric oxide over the past two decades have highlighted the fundamental importance of gaseous signaling molecules in biology and medicine. The physiological role of other gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is now receiving increasing attention. Here we show that H2S is physiologically generated by cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) and that genetic deletion of this enzyme in mice markedly reduces H2S levels in the serum, heart, aorta, and other tissues. Mutant mice lacking CSE display pronounced hypertension and diminished endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation. CSE is physiologically activated by calcium-calmodulin, which is a mechanism for H2S formation in response to vascular activation. These findings provide direct evidence that H2S is a physiologic vasodilator and regulator of blood pressure.
1 Department of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada.
2 Department of Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada.
3 Department of Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada.
4 Departments of Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences and Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
5 Department of Biology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada.
6 Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology Division, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
