Since the identification of endogenous H2S in the mammalian brain in 1989, studies of this molecule uncovered physiological roles in processes such as neuromodulation, vascular tone regulation, cytoprotection against oxidative stress. We previously demonstrated that H2S induces Ca2+ influx in astrocytes by activating transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. During this study we found that H2Sn activates TRP channels much more potently than does H2S and that 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase produces H2S3 and H2S2 that activate TRP ankyrin 1 channels Recently, we demonstrated that the chemical interaction of H2S with nitric oxide (NO) generates H2S2 and H2S3, and that it gives a mechanism of a synergistic effect between H2S and NO. Cysteine persulfide (Cys-SSH) together with its glutathione (GSH) counterpart (GSSH) have been proposed to be involved in redox homeostasis. We will also show that 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3MST) produces Cys-SSH, GSSH, and persulfurated cysteine residues of proteins under physiological conditions together with H2Sn and H2S.

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