title: Comparison of the effects of methanethiol and sodium sulphide on uterine contractile activity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our aim was to investigate the effect of methanethiol (CH3SH) on contractility of rat uterus and activities of redox-active enzymes, and to compare them with the effect of sodium sulphide (Na2S), a hydrogen sulphide (H2S/HS(-)) donor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Uteri were isolated from virgin Wistar rats, divided into six groups, controls (untreated uteri allowed to contract spontaneously and in the presence of Ca(2+)(6mM)), CH3SH treated (spontaneously active and Ca(2+) induced) and Na2S treated (spontaneously active and Ca(2+) induced). Underlying antioxidative enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase--SOD, glutathione peroxidase--GSHPx, glutathione reductase--GR) in CH3SH- or Na2S-treated uteri were compared to controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our experiments showed that CH3SH and Na2S provoked reversible relaxation of both spontaneous and Ca(2+)-induced uterine contractions. The dose-response curves differed in shape, and CH3SH curve was shifted to higher concentration compared to H2S/HS(-). The effects of Na2S fitted sigmoid curve, whereas those of CH3SH fitted linearly. CH3SH provoked increased SOD activity and decreased GR activity. However, Na2S (H2S/HS(-)) provoked an increase in SOD activity exclusively in Ca(2+)-stimulated uteri, while the activity of GSHPx was increased in both types of active uteri.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results imply that CH3SH may have a constructive role in the control of muscle function and metabolism. Observed differences between CH3SH and H2S/HS(-) could be attributed to a larger moiety that is present in CH3SH compared to H2S, but they are more likely to be a consequence of the specific actions of HS(-), in relation to its negative charge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: ana.mijuskovic@ibiss.bg.ac.rs.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mijušković
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Zorana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Oreščanin-Dušić
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nikolić-Kokić
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slavić
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Mihajlo B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Spasić
authors.affiliation: Life Science Department, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Spasojević
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Duško
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blagojević
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013440:Sulfides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013440:Sulfides; C005231:methylmercaptan; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D002118:Calcium; C033479:sodium sulfide; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide
keywords: Hydrogen sulfide; Methanethiol; Reactive oxygen species; Relaxation; SOD