Organ Graft Protection Following Pre-treatment of Transplant Donors with Hydrogen Sulfide

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), a pathological condition resulting from prolonged cessation and subsequent restoration of blood flow to a tissue, is an inevitable consequence of solid organ transplantation. Current organ preservation strategies such as static cold storage are aimed at reducing IRI. However, prolonged SCS exacerbates IRI. Recent research has examined pre-treatment approaches to more effectively attenuate IRI. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), the third established member of a family of gaseous signaling molecules, has been shown to target the pathophysiology of IRI and thus appears to be a viable candidate that can overcome the transplant surgeon’s enemy. This review discusses the pre-treatment of renal grafts and other transplantable organs with H2S to mitigate transplantation-induced IRI in animal models of transplantation. In addition, ethical principles of pre-treatment and potential applications of H2S pre-treatment in the prevention of other IRI-associated conditions are discussed.