Application of hydrogen sulfide donor conjugates in different diseases.

As an endogenous gas signaling molecule, hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) has been proved to have a variety of biological activities. Studies have shown that in some disease state H₂S concentration in the body is lower than normal state. Based on these findings, exogenous H₂S supplementation is expected to be an effective treatment for many diseases. In recent years, a lot of H₂S-releasing substances, namely H₂S donors, have emerged as H₂S sources. Specifically, various H₂S donors also could be connected to drugs or compounds to form H₂S donor conjugates. Many studies have found that H₂S donor conjugates can not only retain the activity of the parent drug, but also reduce the adverse effects of the parent drug, this makes H₂S donor conjugates to be a new kind of drug candidates. In this article, H₂S donor conjugates will be reviewed and classified according to different diseases, such as inflammation, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diseases of central nervous system and cancer. This review aims to provide an idea for researchers for further study of H₂S and H₂S donor conjugates.