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In extracerebral vascular beds cystathionine‐gamma lyase (CSE) activity plays a vasodilatory role but the role of this hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) producing enzyme in the intracerebral arterioles remain poorly understood. We hypothesized a similar function in the intracerebral arterioles.

Intracerebral arterioles were isolated from wild type C57BL/6J mouse (9–12 months old) brains and from human brain biopsies. The function (contractility and secondary dilatation) of the intracerebral arterioles was tested ex vivo by pressure myography using a perfusion set‐up. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used for detecting CSE expression.

CSE is expressed in human and mouse intracerebral arterioles. CSE inhibition with L‐propargylglycine (PAG) significantly dampened the K⁺‐induced vasoconstriction in intracerebral arterioles of both species (% of maximum contraction: in human …