International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology | Vol. 15, No. 9, September 2026 | pp. 46–54

DOI: 10.46882/2026/IJAP/001006

Research Article

Title: Regulatory Role of Hydrogen Sulfide on Gastric Mucosal Microcirculation and Acid Secretion in a Rat Model of Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Names of Authors: V. V. Smirnov¹, Y. L. Chang², N. A. Al-Farsi³*

Authors’ Affiliations:
¹ Department of Physiology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia.
² Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
³ Department of Human Morphological Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.

Abstract:
Gastric ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major clinical challenge that impairs mucosal barrier function, leading to severe ulceration. Hydrogen sulfide (H²S) is a gasotransmitter with known vasodilatory and cytoprotective properties. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory effects of endogenous and exogenous H²S on gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF), vascular permeability, and gastric acid secretion during I/R injury. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to gastric ischemia by clamping the celiac artery for 30 minutes, followed by 1 hour of reperfusion. Animals were pre-treated with either sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, an H²S donor, 50 μmol/kg) or DL-propargylglycine (PAG, a cystathionine γ-lyase inhibitor, 50 mg/kg). GMBF was continuously measured using laser Doppler flowmetry. Gastric acid output was quantified via gastric perfusion with saline. Under I/R conditions, GMBF dropped by 72% ± 5% from baseline. Pre-treatment with NaHS significantly attenuated this reduction, maintaining GMBF at 55% ± 4% of baseline during reperfusion (p < 0.05). Conversely, PAG worsened blood flow reduction and expanded mucosal lesion areas. NaHS pre-treatment also suppressed the I/R-induced hypersecretion of gastric acid, reducing peak acid output from 4.8 ± 0.6 μmol/30 min to 2.1 ± 0.3 μmol/30 min (p < 0.01). Histological evaluation confirmed that NaHS preserved mucosal architecture and reduced leukocyte infiltration. These results suggest that H²S exerts a strong protective effect against gastric I/R injury by improving mucosal microcirculation and down-regulating aggressive acid secretion factors.

Keywords: Hydrogen sulfide, Gastric microcirculation, Ischemia-reperfusion, Gastric acid, Cytoprotection.

Manuscript Timeline: Received: May 11, 2026; Revised: July 05, 2026; Accepted: August 14, 2026; Published: September 22, 2026.

Citation: Smirnov VV, Chang YL, Al-Farsi NA. Regulatory Role of Hydrogen Sulfide on Gastric Mucosal Microcirculation and Acid Secretion in a Rat Model of Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury. International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology. 2026; 15(9): 46–54. doi:10.46882/2026/IJAP/001006

Subscribe to read the full article: https://mail.internationalscholarsjournals.org/subscribe-to-read