Overview of potential molecular targets for hydrogen sulfide: A new strategy for treating erectile dysfunction.

Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is a molecule of increasing interest in biology. It is now recognized as the third most important biological gasotransmitter after nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO); it freely diffuses across cellular membranes and affects various physiologic functions. There are functional roles for HS in sexual medicine related to cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation and the erectile mechanism. HS may function in both normal endothelial and cavernosal smooth muscle function, as well as in the pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction (ED). This review examines the mechanisms of the role of HS in the physiology of erection, and how it may be applied in the future to the treatment of men with multiple comorbidities and ED. The efficacy and safety profile of HS as a therapeutic agent needs to be further defined. As research on this molecule is in the early stages, further investigation is required to determine if the mechanisms of HS effects in animal models of ED can be translated to the human condition. These initial studies with HS may lead to new developments in ED treatment.