Injuries of the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) are a serious problem of the modern healthcare system. The situation is complicated by the lack of clinically effective neuroprotective drugs that can protect damaged neurons and glial cells from death. In addition, people who have undergone neurotrauma often develop mental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases that worsen the quality of life up to severe disability and death. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gaseous signaling molecule that performs various cellular functions in normal and pathological conditions. However, the role of H2S in neurotrauma and mental disorders remains unexplored and sometimes controversial. In this large-scale review study, we examined the various biological effects of H2S associated with survival and cell death in trauma to the brain, spinal cord, and PNS, and the signaling mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of mental illnesses, such as cognitive impairment, encephalopathy, depression and anxiety disorders, epilepsy and chronic pain. We also studied the role of H2S in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). In addition, we reviewed the current state of the art study of H2S donors as neuroprotectors and the possibility of their therapeutic uses in medicine. Our study showed that H2S has great neuroprotective potential. H2S reduces oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and neuroinflammation; inhibits processes associated with apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis and pyroptosis; prevents the destruction of the blood-brain barrier; increases the expression of neurotrophic factors; and models the activity of Ca2+ channels in neurotrauma. In addition, H2S activates neuroprotective signaling pathways in psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. However, high levels of H2S can cause cytotoxic effects. Thus, the development of H2S-associated neuroprotectors seems to be especially relevant. However, so far, all H2S modulators are at the stage of preclinical trials. Nevertheless, many of them show a high neuroprotective effect in various animal models of neurotrauma and related disorders. Despite the fact that our review is very extensive and detailed, it is well structured right down to the conclusions, which will allow researchers to quickly find the proper information they are interested in.
Keywords: anxiety disorders; apoptosis; autophagy; cognitive impairment; depression; encephalopathy; epilepsy; ferroptosis; glial cells; hydrogen sulfide; neurodegenerative diseases; neuron; neurotrauma; pyroptosis.