Pharmacological Actions of Hydrogen Sulfide Donors on Sympathetic Neurotransmission in the Bovine Anterior Uvea, In Vitro.

In the present study, we investigated the effect of three different sources of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on sympathetic neurotransmission from isolated superfused bovine iris-ciliary bodies. The three agents under consideration were: ACS67, a hybrid of latanoprost and a H2S-donating moiety; L-cysteine, a substrate for endogenous production of H2S and GYY 4137, a slow donor of H2S. We also examined the contribution of prostaglandins to the pharmacological actions of the H2S donors on release of [(3)H]-norepinephrine ([(3)H]NE) triggered by electrical field stimulation. ACS67, L-cysteine and GYY 4137 caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of electrically-evoked [(3)H]NE release from isolated bovine iris-ciliary bodies without affecting basal [(3)H]NE efflux. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor, flurbiprofen enhanced the inhibitory action of ACS67 and L-cysteine on stimulated [(3)H]NE release. Both aminooxyacetic acid, an inhibitor of cystathionine-ß-synthase and glibenclamide, a KATP channel blocker reversed the inhibition of evoked NE release induced by the H2S donors. We conclude that H2S donors can inhibit sympathetic neurotransmission from isolated bovine iris-ciliary bodies, an effect partially dependent on the in situ production of H2S and prostanoids, and is mediated by an action on KATP channels.

Inhibitory action of novel hydrogen sulfide donors on bovine isolated posterior ciliary arteries.

In the present study, we investigate the inhibitory effect of novel H2S donors, AP67 and AP72 on isolated bovine posterior ciliary arteries (PCAs) under conditions of tone induced by an adrenoceptor agonist. Furthermore, we examined the possible mechanisms underlying the AP67- and AP72-induced relaxations. Isolated bovine PCA were set up for measurement of isometric tension in organ baths containing oxygenated Krebs solution. The relaxant action of H2S donors was studied on phenylephrine-induced tone in the absence or presence of enzyme inhibitors for the following pathways: cyclooxygenase (COX); H2S; nitric oxide and the ATP-sensitive K(+) (KATP) channel. The H2S donors, NaSH (1 nM - 10 µM), AP67 (1 nM - 10 µM) and AP72 (10 nM - 1 µM) elicited a concentration-dependent relaxation of phenylephrine-induced tone in isolated bovine PCA. While the COX inhibitor, flurbiprofen (3 µM) blocked significantly (p < 0.05) the inhibitory response elicited by AP67, it had no effect on relaxations induced by NaSH and AP72. Both aminooxyacetic acid (30 µM) and propargylglycine (1 mM), enzyme inhibitors of H2S biosynthesis caused significant (p < 0.05) rightward shifts in the concentration-response curve to AP67 and AP72. Furthermore, the KATP channel antagonist, glibenclamide (300 µM) and the NO synthase inhibitor, l-NAME (100 µM) significantly attenuated (p < 0.05) the relaxation effect induced by AP67 and AP72 on PCA. We conclude that H2S donors can relax pre-contracted isolated bovine PCA, an effect dependent on endogenous production of H2S. The inhibitory action of only AP67 on pre-contracted PCA may involve the production of inhibitory endogenous prostanoids. Furthermore, the observed inhibitory action of H2S donors on PCA may depend on the endogenous biosynthesis of NO and by an action of KATP channels.

Interaction between hydrogen sulfide, nitric oxide, and carbon monoxide pathways in the bovine isolated retina.

PURPOSE: Nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are physiologically relevant gaseous neurotransmitters that are endogenously produced in mammalian tissues. In the present study, we investigated the possibility that NO and CO can regulate the endogenous levels of H2S in bovine isolated neural retina. METHODS: Isolated bovine neural retina were homogenized and tissue homogenates were treated with a NO synthase inhibitor, NO donor, heme oxygenase-1 inhibitor, and/donor. H2S concentrations in bovine retinal homogenates were measured using a well-established colorimetric assay. RESULTS: L-NAME (300 nM-500 µM) caused a concentration-dependent decrease in basal endogenous levels of H2S by 86.2%. On the other hand, SNP (10-300 µM) elicited a concentration-related increase in H2S levels from 18.3 nM/mg of protein to 65.7 nM/mg of protein. ZnPP-IX (300 nM-10 µM) caused a concentration-dependent increase in the endogenous production of H2S whereas hemin (300 nM-20 µM) attenuated the basal levels of H2S. CONCLUSION: We conclude that changes in the biosynthesis and availability of both NO and CO can interfere with the pathway/s involved in the production of H2S in the retina. The demonstrated ability of NO, CO and H2S to interact in the mammalian retina affirms a physiological/pharmacological role for these gaseous mediators in the eye.

Lipid peroxidation: pathophysiological and pharmacological implications in the eye.

Oxygen-derived free radicals such as hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl species have been shown to oxidize phospholipids and other membrane lipid components leading to lipid peroxidation. In the eye, lipid peroxidation has been reported to play an important role in degenerative ocular diseases (age-related macular degeneration, cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy). Indeed, ocular tissues are prone to damage from reactive oxygen species due to stress from constant exposure of the eye to sunlight, atmospheric oxygen and environmental chemicals. Furthermore, free radical catalyzed peroxidation of long chain polyunsaturated acids (LCPUFAs) such as arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid leads to generation of LCPUFA metabolites including isoprostanes and neuroprostanes that may further exert pharmacological/toxicological actions in ocular tissues. Evidence from literature supports the presence of endogenous defense mechanisms against reactive oxygen species in the eye, thereby presenting new avenues for the prevention and treatment of ocular degeneration. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and synthetic peroxides can exert pharmacological and toxicological effects on tissues of the anterior uvea of several mammalian species. There is evidence suggesting that the retina, especially retinal ganglion cells can exhibit unique characteristics of antioxidant defense mechanisms. In the posterior segment of the eye, H2O2 and synthetic peroxides produce an inhibitory action on glutamate release (using [(3)H]-D-aspartate as a marker), in vitro and on the endogenous glutamate and glycine concentrations in vivo. In addition to peroxides, isoprostanes can elicit both excitatory and inhibitory effects on norepinephrine (NE) release from sympathetic nerves in isolated mammalian iris ciliary bodies. Whereas isoprostanes attenuate dopamine release from mammalian neural retina, in vitro, these novel arachidonic acid metabolites exhibit a biphasic regulatory effect on glutamate release from retina and can regulate amino acid neurotransmitter metabolism without inducing cell death in the retina. Furthermore, there appears to be an inhibitory role for neuroprostanes in the release of excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters in mammalian retina. The ability of peroxides and metabolites of LCPUFA to alter the integrity of neurotransmitter pools provides new potential target sites and pathways for the treatment of degenerative ocular diseases.