A Dinuclear Persulfide-Bridged Ruthenium Compound is a Hypoxia-Selective Hydrogen Sulfide (H2 S) Donor.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) is a gaseous molecule that has received attention for its role in biological processes and therapeutic potential in diseases, such as ischemic reperfusion injury. Despite its clinical relevance, delivery of H2 S to biological systems is hampered by its toxicity at high concentrations. Herein, we report the first metal-based H2 S donor that delivers this gas selectively to hypoxic cells. We further show that H2 S release from this compound protects H9c2 rat cardiomyoblasts from an in vitro model of ischemic reperfusion injury. These results validate the utility of redox-activated metal complexes as hypoxia-selective H2 S-releasing agents for use as tools to study the role of this gaseous molecule in complex biological systems.