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.