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Hydrogen sulfide is a foul-smelling gas with an odor resemblingthat of rotten eggs. Sometimes called "swamp gas," this toxicsubstance is generally associated with decaying vegetation, sewersand noxious industrial emissions. And - as odd as it may seem - italso plays a critical role in protecting blood vessels from thecomplications of diabetes , according to a new study from the University of Texas MedicalBranch at Galveston. In the last few years, work from several laboratories has shownthat hydrogen sulfide is produced by the body in small amounts, andthat this gas plays important roles in the circulatory system. Intheir new paper, published in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the UTMB researchers describe experiments with human endothelialcells (cells from the innermost layer of blood vessels) anddiabetic rats that demonstrate the importance of hydrogen sulfidelevels in determining whether diabetes will lead to blood vesselcomplications. Dr. Szabo's team started by exposing endothelial cells to sugar ata concentration that mimicked a level found in the blood vessels ofsomeone with diabetes. "Upon exposure to such high sugar levels,the cells started to produce increasing amounts of highly reactivetoxic free radicals, and as a consequence, they began to die," saidDr. Csaba Szabo, a UTMB professor and the paper's lead author. "Lowhydrogen sulfide levels accelerated this process, while constantreplacement of hydrogen sulfide protected the cells against thetoxic effects of high sugar." The researchers went on to show that diabetic rats have lowerlevels of hydrogen sulfide in their circulatory systems than otheranimals. Furthermore, the team showed that treating diabetic ratsfor a month with hydrogen sulfide improved the function of theirblood vessels. "The loss of endothelial cell function in diabetes is a first stepthat leads to many complications, such as eye disease, heart disease , kidney disease, foot disease and others," Szabo said. "Theobservation that hydrogen sulfide can control an early checkpointin all of these processes may open the door for new therapies." The National Institutes of Health, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundationand the Shriners Hospital for Children supported this research. Additional References Citations. I am an expert from flooringdisplayracks.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Trade Show Fabric Displays , Cardboard Display Racks Manufacturer, Cardboard Display Racks,and more.
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