Hydrogen sulfide protects colon cancer cells from chemopreventative agent β-phenylethyl isothiocyanate induced apoptosis

PEITC effectively induced cell death in the human adenocarcinoma cell line HCT116 in vitro through classic apoptotic mechanisms. However, in the presence of H(2)S, apoptosis was abolished. These data suggest that H(2)S may play a significant role in the response of colonic epithelial cells to beneficial as well as toxic agents present within the GI tract.