Role of hydrogen sulphide in physiological and pathological angiogenesis

The role of hydrogen sulphide (H(2)S) in angiogenesis has been widely demonstrated. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in H(2)S‐induced angiogenesis. H(2)S promotes angiogenesis by upregulating VEGF via pro‐angiogenic signal transduction. The involved signalling pathways include the mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathway, phosphoinositide‐3 kinase pathway, nitric oxide (NO) synthase/NO pathway, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)‐sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels. H(2)S has been shown to contribute to tumour angiogenesis, diabetic wound healing, angiogenesis in cardiac and cerebral ischaemic tissues, and physiological angiogenesis during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Furthermore, H(2)S can exert an anti‐angiogenic effect by inactivating Wnt/β‐catenin signalling or blocking the STAT3 pathway in tumours. Therefore, H(2)S plays a double‐edged sword role in the process of angiogenesis. The regulation of H(2)S production is a promising therapeutic approach for angiogenesis‐associated diseases. Novel H(2)S donors and/or inhibitors can be developed in the treatment of angiogenesis‐dependent diseases.