Role of hydrogen sulfide in portal hypertension and esophagogastric junction vascular disease

Figure 1 Negative correlation between H₂S plasma levels and portal vein diameters in patients with portal hypertension. r = -0.478, P < 0.05.

Figure 2 Liver hematoxylin and eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining of rabbits in portal hypertension model group and control group. A: Rabbit portal hypertension model; B: Relationship between rabbit portal hypertension progression and H₂S concentration; C: Normal rabbit liver tissue [hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining]; D: Schistosomiasis portal hypertension (SPH) rabbit liver sample with concentric arrangement of fibrous larval nodules and fibrous connective tissue in the portal area (HE staining); E and F: Masson’s trichrome staining: collagen fibers are stained blue-green; muscle fibers and cellulose are stained red; and nuclei are stained blue to black; E: Normal liver tissue; F: SPH liver tissue with large amount of collagen fibers (arrow). All histological images are shown with × 40 magnification.

Figure 3 Western blotting analysis of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 expression levels in schistosomiasis portal hypertension and control rabbit portal vein-tunica media dissections. ^aP < 0.05,^bP < 0.001.

Figure 4 (A) Smooth muscle cell apoptosis under varying H₂S concentrations, observed by flow cytometry, (B) Protein levels of the apoptotic factors Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL in primary rabbit portal vein smooth muscle cells and (C) in primary human portal vein smooth muscle cells. ^bP < 0.001.

Figure 5 Effect of H₂S concentrations on portal vein smooth muscle cell apoptosis rates. A: Immunofluorescence assays showed significant apoptosis in normal rabbit omentum vascular smooth muscle cells under normal H₂S (50 μmol/L) concentration; B: There was significantly less apoptosis in the cells without H₂S (magnification × 40); C: Under an electron microscope, with normal H₂S concentrations, rupturing of the nuclear membrane and condensation of the nucleoplasm was observed, indicating irreversible cell death; D: In cells without H₂S substitution, the mitochondria appeared intact and the structural integrity was maintained.