Bartman, Colleen M

Abstract Preterm infants can develop airway hyperreactivity and impaired bronchodilation following supplemental O 2 (hyperoxia) in early life, making it important to understand mechanisms of hyperoxia effects. Endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) has anti‐inflammatory and vasodilatory effects with oxidative stress. There is little understanding of H 2 S signaling in developing airways. We hypothesized that the endogenous H 2 S system is detrimentally influenced by O 2 and conversely H 2 S signaling pathways can be leveraged to attenuate deleterious effects of O 2 . Using human fetal airway smooth muscle (fASM) cells, we investigated baseline expression of endogenous H 2 S machinery, and effects of exogenous H 2 S donors NaHS and GYY4137 in the context of moderate hyperoxia, with intracellular calcium regulation as a readout of contractility. Biochemical pathways for endogenous H 2 S generation and catabolism are present in fASM, and are differentially sensitive to O 2 toward overall reduction in H 2 S levels. H 2 S donors have downstream effects of reducing [Ca 2+ ] i responses to bronchoconstrictor agonist via blunted plasma membrane Ca 2+ influx: effects blocked by O 2 . However, such detrimental O 2 effects are targetable by exogenous H 2 S donors such as NaHS and GYY4137. These data provide novel information regarding the potential for H 2 S to act as a bronchodilator in developing airways in the context of oxygen exposure.