The Role of H2S in the Metabolism of Glucose and Lipids.

ABSTRACT

Glucose and lipids are essential elements for maintaining the body's homeostasis, and their dysfunction may participate in the pathologies of various diseases, particularly diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular ailments, and cancers. Among numerous endogenous mediators, the gasotransmitter hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays a central role in the maintenance of glucose and lipid homeostasis. Current evidence from both pharmacological studies and transgenic animal models suggest a complex relationship between H2S and metabolic dysregulation, especially in diabetes and obesity. This notion is achieved through tissue-specific expressions and actions of H2S on target metabolic and hormone organs including the pancreas, skeletal muscle, livers, and adipose. In this chapter, we will summarize the roles and mechanisms of H2S in several metabolic organs/tissues that are necessary for glucose and lipid metabolic homeostasis. In addition, future research directions and valuable therapeutic avenues around the pharmacological regulation of H2S in glycolipid metabolism disorder will be also discussed.