Hydrogen sulfide ameliorates disorders in the parafacial respiratory group region of neonatal rats caused by prenatal cigarette smoke exposure via an antioxidative effect.

We previously found that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) ameliorated the dysfunction of central chemoreception caused by prenatal cigarette smoke exposure (CSE). In the present study, we further explored whether the parafacial respiratory group (pFRG) is involved in the protection of central chemoreception by H2S against prenatal CSE-induced injury. We found that NaHS, a donor of H2S, restored the expression of Phox2b, which was downregulated by prenatal CSE, in the pFRG region of neonatal rats. NaHS also relieved the prenatal CSE-induced excitatory synapse disturbance in the pFRG region of neonatal rats. Additionally, NaHS prevented the increase in the malondialdehyde level and suppression of antioxidase activity in the pFRG region of neonatal rats induced by prenatal CSE. Furthermore, NaHS prevented the downregulation of the expression of antioxidases and Nrf2 in the pFRG region of neonatal rats with prenatal CSE. These results suggest that H2S can protect the pFRG of neonatal rats against prenatal CSE-induced injury via an antioxidative effect.