Abstract
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important signaling molecule that provides protective activities in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Among the different types of H2S donor compounds, thioamides have attracted attention due to prior conjugation to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to access H2S-NSAID hybrids with significantly reduced toxicity, but the mechanism of H2S release from thioamides remains unclear. Herein, we reported the synthesis and evaluation of a class of thioamide-derived sulfenyl thiocarbamates (SulfenylTCMs) that function as a new class of H2S donors. These compounds are efficiently activated by cellular thiols to release carbonyl sulfide (COS), which is quickly converted to H2S by carbonic anhydrase (CA). In addition, through mechanistic investigations, we establish that COS-independent H2S release pathways are also operative. In contrast to the parent thioamide-based donors, the SulfenylTCMs exhibit excellent H2S releasing efficiencies of up to 90% and operate through mechanistically well-defined pathways. In addition, we demonstrate that the sulfenyl thiocarbamate group is readily attached to common NSAIDs, such as naproxen, to generate YZ-597 as an efficient H2S-NSAID hybrid, which we demonstrate releases H2S in cellular environments. Taken together, this new class of H2S donor motifs provides an important platform for new donor development.