Objective To investigate the protective effect and possible mechanism of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on high glucose induced injury in human peritoneal mesothelial cell line HMrSV5 cells. Methods HMrSV5 cells were incubated in 4.25% D-glucose (high glucose) medium to induce the injury. The cells were then treated with a H2S donor sodium bisulfide (NaHS) (10-3 mol/L) for 24 h. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in cultured medium was determined by spectrophotometric method. The molecular markers of autophagy Beclin-1 and microtubule-associated protein light chain-3 (LC3) and the autophagy substrates p62/SQSTM1 were determined by western blot. Results Cell viability decreased significantly and LDH level in cultured medium increased significantly in high glucose group as compared with those in control group. Cell viability became increased significantly and LDH level in cultured medium
became decreased significantly in NaHS (5×10- 4, 10- 3 and 5×10- 3 mol/L) groups as compared with those in high glucose group. The expressions of Beclin-1 and LC3 increased significantly and the expression of p62 decreased significantly in high glucose group as compared with those in control group. The expressions of Beclin- 1 and LC3 became significantly decreased and the expression of p62 became significantly increased in NaHS (5×10- 4, 10- 3 and 5×10- 3 mol/L) groups as compared with those in high glucose group. Conclusions H2S protects the high glucose induced injury through the inhibition of autophagy in human peritoneal mesothelial cell line HMrSV5 cells.