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Transdermal Detection of Low Concentrations of Hydrogen Sulfide
Author(s) -
Rios Lynnette,
Friedrichsen Debra,
Mowry Curtis,
Silaski Grayson,
Shekarriz Reza,
Kanagy Nancy Lapp
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.1271.3
Subject(s) - medicine , transdermal , hydrogen sulfide , endothelial dysfunction , diabetes mellitus , ischemia , interstitial fluid , peripheral , constriction , cardiology , chemistry , endocrinology , pharmacology , sulfur , organic chemistry
We report here a novel approach to measure circulating hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) non‐invasively as a potential way to diagnose and monitor endothelial dysfunction and peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD is a life‐threatening condition caused by arterial constriction and obstruction of blood flow leading to limb ischemia. Current methods to diagnose and monitor PAD lack sensitivity, result in frequent false‐negatives, and require specialized technicians. Recent studies indicate that decreased H 2 S production is an underlying cause of PAD. In addition, reduced plasma H 2 S correlates with endothelial dysfunction in untreated hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea and other cardiovascular diseases. Conversely, excess H 2 S is cytotoxic causing irreversible damage to mitochondrial function. Therefore, careful monitoring of plasma H 2 S levels is essential to diagnose and treat vascular disease and to prevent H 2 S toxicity. This device was designed to measure H 2 S at the surface of the skin to test the hypothesis that the diffusion rate (and therefore gas phase concentration) of H 2 S is directly proportional to the concentration of H 2 S in the blood. Our results demonstrate that the device is sensitive enough to detect H 2 S at 10 part per billion (ppb) or lower in gas standards and in the headspace of a 3 nM solution of Na 2 S (H 2 S donor). In vitro studies used excised rat skin superfused on the subcutaneous surface with a H 2 S solution. H 2 S was detected in a stream of N 2 gas flowing through a sealed chamber on the epidermal side both by GC/MS measurement and with the sensor only when the superfusing solution contained an H 2 S donor demonstrating that H 2 S diffuses through the skin. The diffusion rate of H 2 S through excised abdominal skin from a male Sprague‐Dawley rat is approximately 1.42×10 −9 μmol/s/cm 2 /μM. The device also detected increases in H 2 S on the skin surface in anesthetized rats within seconds of intra‐venous injection of Na 2 S at doses that caused a fall in arterial pressure, with an estimated average diffusion rate of 4×10 −8 μmol/s/cm 2 /μM. Therefore, this noninvasive, highly‐sensitive and portable device has the potential to transform diagnosis and monitoring of early stage PAD and to monitor H 2 S biosynthesis or exposure in vivo .