Luminal sulfide and large intestine mucosa: friend or foe

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is present in the lumen of the human large intestine at millimolar concentrations. However, the concentration of free (unbound) sulfide is in the micromolar range due to a large capacity of fecal components to bind the sulfide. H₂S can be produced by the intestinal microbiota...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Amino acids Vol. 39; no. 2; pp. 335 - 347
Main Authors:	Blachier, François, Davila, Anne-Marie, Mimoun, Sabria, Benetti, Pierre-Henri, Atanasiu, Calina, Andriamihaja, Mireille, Benamouzig, Robert, Bouillaud, Frédéric, Tomé, Daniel
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Vienna Vienna : Springer Vienna 01.07.2010 Springer Vienna Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:	adverse effects Amino acids Analytical Chemistry Animals anti-inflammatory activity Bacteria Bacteria - metabolism Biochemical Engineering Biochemistry Biomedical and Life Sciences cell respiration chemically induced chemistry clinical trials Colitis, Ulcerative Colitis, Ulcerative - chemically induced Colon Colon - metabolism Colon - microbiology Cystathionine gamma-Lyase Cystathionine gamma-Lyase - metabolism Cytochrome-c oxidase Design of experiments Detoxification drug effects Electron transport Electron transport chain energy Energy Metabolism Enzymatic activity enzyme activity Enzymes Epithelial cells Epithelium etiology experimental design Feces Feces - chemistry Humans Hydrogen sulfide Hydrogen Sulfide - metabolism Inactivation, Metabolic inflammation Intestinal microflora intestinal microorganisms Intestinal Mucosa Intestinal Mucosa - drug effects Intestinal Mucosa - metabolism Intestinal Neoplasms Intestinal Neoplasms - etiology Intestine Intestine, Large Intestine, Large - metabolism Intestine, Large - microbiology Large intestine Life Sciences metabolism microbiology Mitochondria Mucosa Neurobiology Neuromodulation Neurotransmitter Agents Neurotransmitter Agents - physiology nociception Oxidase Oxidation oxygen Oxygen consumption Pain Pain - physiopathology Pain perception physiology physiopathology Proteomics Quinone oxidoreductase Quinones Review Article Rhodanese rodents Sulfide Sulfides Sulfides - adverse effects Sulfides - metabolism sulfur Sulfur compounds Sulfur dioxygenase Terminal oxidase thiosulfate sulfurtransferase thiosulfates volunteers Sulfide Energy metabolism Colon Large intestine Detoxification
ISSN:	0939-4451, 1438-2199, 1438-2199
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is present in the lumen of the human large intestine at millimolar concentrations. However, the concentration of free (unbound) sulfide is in the micromolar range due to a large capacity of fecal components to bind the sulfide. H₂S can be produced by the intestinal microbiota from alimentary and endogenous sulfur-containing compounds including amino acids. At excessive concentration, H₂S is known to severely inhibit cytochrome c oxidase, the terminal oxidase of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, and thus mitochondrial oxygen (O₂) consumption. However, the concept that sulfide is simply a metabolic troublemaker toward colonic epithelial cells has been challenged by the discovery that micromolar concentration of H₂S is able to increase the cell respiration and to energize mitochondria allowing these cells to detoxify and to recover energy from luminal sulfide. The main product of H₂S metabolism by the colonic mucosa is thiosulfate. The enzymatic activities involved in sulfide oxidation by the colonic epithelial cells appear to be sulfide quinone oxidoreductase considered as the first and rate-limiting step followed presumably by the action of sulfur dioxygenase and rhodanese. From clinical studies with human volunteers and experimental works with rodents, it appears that H₂S can exert mostly pro- but also anti-inflammatory effects on the colonic mucosa. From the available data, it is tempting to propose that imbalance between the luminal concentration of free sulfide and the capacity of colonic epithelial cells to metabolize this compound will result in an impairment of the colonic epithelial cell O₂ consumption with consequences on the process of mucosal inflammation. In addition, endogenously produced sulfide is emerging as a prosecretory neuromodulator and as a relaxant agent toward the intestinal contractibility. Lastly, sulfide has been recently described as an agent involved in nociception in the large intestine although, depending on the experimental design, both pro- and anti-nociceptive effects have been reported.
Bibliography:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00726-009-0445-2 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 14 ObjectType-Review-3 content type line 23
ISSN:	0939-4451 1438-2199 1438-2199
DOI:	10.1007/s00726-009-0445-2