Overview of potential molecular targets for hydrogen sulfide: A new strategy for treating erectile dysfunction

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is a molecule of increasing interest in biology. It is now recognized as the third most important biological gasotransmitter after nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO); it freely diffuses across cellular membranes and affects various physiologic functions. There are functional roles for H₂S in sexual medicine related to cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation and the erectile mechanism. H₂S may function in both normal endothelial and cavernosal smooth muscle function, as well as in the pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction (ED). This review examines the mechanisms of the role of H₂S in the physiology of erection, and how it may be applied in the future to the treatment of men with multiple comorbidities and ED. The efficacy and safety profile of H₂S as a therapeutic agent needs to be further defined. As research on this molecule is in the early stages, further investigation is required to determine if the mechanisms of H₂S effects in animal models of ED can be translated to the human condition. These initial studies with H₂S may lead to new developments in ED treatment.

Keywords: Coronary heart disease; Corpus cavernosum relaxation; Erectile dysfunction; H(2)S; Inflammation; Nitric oxide; Oxidative stress.