Part I Biochemistry, molecular biology and chemistry -- 1 H2Ssynthesizing enzymes: biochemistry and molecular aspects -- Part II Molecular mechanisms of action -- 2 Sulfhydration and H2S -- 3 Persulfide formation and H2S -- Part III Cardiovascular system -- 4 H2S and blood vessels - an overview -- 5 Hydrogen sulfide and urogenital tract -- 6 H2S - cardiac function and cardiac disease -- 7 H2S and platelets – a possible role in thrombosis? -- Part IV Inflammation and inflammatory disease -- 8 H2S and inflammation  - an overview -- 9 H2S and neuroinflammation -- Part V H2S and the nervous system -- 10 Brain, learning and memory: role in neurodegenerative diseases -- 11 H2S and pain – inflammatory and neuropathic -- Part VI H2S, angiogenesis and cancer -- 12 H2S and colon cancer -- 13 The role of H2S in cancer and tumor development -- Part VII H2S and ageing -- 14 H2S – a new approach to lifespan enhancement and healthy aging? -- Part VIII H2S, measurement and possible therapeutics? -- 15 Measurement of H2S – probes comes of age? -- 16 S-propargylcysteine – a novel H2S donor with therapeutic potential -- 17 Mitochondria-targetted sulfide donors -- 18 Medicinal chemistry - insights into the development of novel H2S donors.

This book puts hydrogen sulfide in context with other gaseous mediators such as nitric oxide and carbon monoxide, reviews the available mechanisms for its biosynthesis and describes its physiological and pathophysiological roles in a wide variety of disease states. Hydrogen sulfide has recently been discovered to be a naturally occurring gaseous mediator in the body. Over a relatively short period of time this evanescent gas has been revealed to play key roles in a range of physiological processes including control of blood vessel caliber and hence blood pressure and in the regulation of nerve function both in the brain and the periphery. Disorders concerning the biosynthesis or activity of hydrogen sulfide may also predispose the body to disease states such as inflammation, cardiovascular and neurological disorders. Interest in this novel gas has been high in recent years and many research groups worldwide have described its individual biological effects. Moreover, medicinal chemists are beginning to synthesize novel organic molecules that release this gas at defined rates with a view to exploiting these new compounds for therapeutic benefit.