Microrheological responses of red blood cells to hydrogen sulfide in normotensive and hypertensive individuals: Analysis of intracellular signaling pathways.

This article focuses on the regulatory effects of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) on red blood cell (RBC) microrheology in normotensive and hypertensive individuals, particularly its interaction with nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathways. The study found that RBC deformability (RBCD) is reduced and aggregation (RBCA) increased in arterial hypertension (AH) patients compared to healthy controls. Incubation with sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), an H₂S donor, improved RBCD and decreased RBCA in both groups, effects that were abolished by inhibitors of the NO-associated signaling pathway, including soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) and cyclic guanylate monophosphate (cGMP). Combined application of NO and H₂S donors produced greater improvements in RBC microrheology than either alone, indicating cross-talk between these gasotransmitters. These findings suggest that H₂S modulates RBC microrheology via NO-mediated signaling, with potential implications for therapeutic strategies in cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension.