The H2S/NF-kB Amplification Loop — Endometriosis

^{[1]H2S promotes proliferation of endometrial stromal cells via activating the NF-kB pathway in endometriosisLei S, Cao Y, Sun J et al. · 2018Open reference 1 ↓} demonstrated that hydrogen sulfide promotes endometrial stromal cell proliferation via NF-kB activation. CBS and CSE (H2S-producing enzymes) are overexpressed in ectopic endometrium. NF-kB is also activated by nickel exposure in allergic contact mucositis.

This creates a convergent pathway: dietary nickel activates NF-kB in the gut mucosa; H2S from endometriotic lesions activates NF-kB locally; both feed the same inflammatory cascade that promotes lesion growth. Inhibiting endogenous H2S production in vivo significantly reduced lesion number and weight in a mouse model.