AimTo investigate the effects of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) on oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) induced expression of tissue factor (TF) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) in endothelial cells.MethodsHuman umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were cultured and treated with ox-LDL (50 mg/L) in the absence or presence of NaHS for 24 h.The mRNA expression and protein content of TF and TFPI in HUVEC were determined by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively.ResultsTreatment with ox-LDL for 24 h caused an increased TF mRNA and protein expression by 8 and 7 times, respectively (p<0.01), and a decreased TFPI mRNA and protein expression by 73% and 65%, respectively (p<0.01).However, pretreatment of HUVEC with different concentrations (25, 50, 100 and 200 μmol/L) of NaHS (the donor of H₂S) for 1 h before ox-LDL stimulation resulted in a marked inhibition of ox-LDL-induced TF mRNA and protein expression by 12%, 31%, 63%, 80% and 13%, 30%, 62%, 77%, respectively (p<0.05), and an increase of ox-LDL-induced inhibition in TFPI mRNA and protein expression by 0.6, 1.2, 2.0, 2.6 times and 0.3, 0.7, 1.1, 1.6 times, respectively (p<0.05).ConclusionH₂S can inhibit ox-LDL-induced TF expression and increases ox-LDL-inhibited TFPI expression in endothelial cells.