Patulin disrupts SLC7A11-cystine-cysteine-GSH antioxidant system and promotes renal cell ferroptosis both in vitro and in vivo

Nicotinamide mononucleotide mitigates neuroinflammation by enhancing GPX4-mediated ferroptosis defense in microglia

BACKGROUND

Numerous neurological diseases involving neuroinflammation, particularly microglia, contribute to neuronal death. Ferroptosis is implicated in various diseases characterized by neuronal injury. Studies showed that nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) inhibits both neuroinflammation and ferroptosis. However, the mechanisms of NMN in both ferroptosis and neuroinflammation remain unclear. We aimed to explore the effects of NMN on neuroinflammation and the susceptibility of microglia to ferroptosis.

METHODS

Ferroptosis markers in macroglia exposed to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were analyzed using CCK8, flow cytometry, ELISA, and quantitative RT-PCR. The effects of NMN on LPS-induced ferroptosis in microglia were evaluated through flow cytometry, western blot, and immunofluorescence staining. RT-PCR analysis assessed the inflammatory cytokine production of microglia subjected to Ferrostatin-1-regulated ferroptosis. RNA sequencing elucidated the underlying mechanism of NMN-involved microglia ferroptosis under LPS induction. In BV2 microglia, an inhibitor of GPX4, RSL3, was employed to suppress GPX4 expression. Intracerebroventricular injection of LPS was performed to evaluate neuroinflammation and microglia activation in vivo.

RESULTS

NMN effectively rescued LPS-induced ferroptosis and improved cell viability in microglia. Co-administration of NMN and ferrostatin-1 significantly reduced proinflammatory cytokine production in microglia following the introduction of LPS stimuli. Mechanistically, NMN facilitated glutathione (GSH) production, and enhanced resistance to lipid peroxidation occurred in a manner dependent on GPX4, repressing cytokine transcription and protecting cells from ferroptosis. RNA sequencing elucidated the underlying mechanism of NMN-associated microglia ferroptosis under LPS induction. Furthermore, simultaneous injection of NMN ameliorated LPS-induced ferroptosis and neuroinflammation in mouse brains. The data from the present study indicated that NMN enhances GPX4-mediated ferroptosis defense against LPS-induced ferroptosis in microglia by recruiting GSH, thereby inhibiting neuroinflammation.

CONCLUSION

Therapeutic approaches to effectively target ferroptosis in diseases using NMN, consideration should be given to both its anti-ferroptosis and anti-inflammatory effects to attain optimal outcomes, presenting promising strategies for treating neuroinflammation-related diseases or disorders.

A New Ferroptosis-Related Long Non-Coding RNA Risk Model Predicts the Prognosis of Patients With Papillary Thyroid Cancer

Background

Ferroptosis is a novel form of regulated cell death that involves in cancer progression. However, the role of ferroptosis-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains to be elucidated. The purpose of this paper was to clarify the prognostic value of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs in PTC.

Methods

The transcriptome data and clinical information were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The correlation between ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) and lncRNA was determined using Pearson correlation analysis. Multivariate Cox regression model (P < 0.01) was performed to establish a ferroptosis-related lncRNAs risk model. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, risk curve and nomograms were then performed to assess the accuracy and clinical applicability of prognostic models. The correlations between the prognosis model and clinicopathological variables, immune and m6A were analyzed. Finally, in vitro assays were performed to verify the role of LINC00900, LINC01614 and PARAL1 on the proliferation, migration and invasion in TPC-1 and BCPAP cells, as well as the relationship between three lncRNAs and ferroptosis.

Results

A five-ferroptosis-related lncRNAs (PARAL1, LINC00900, DPH6-DT, LINC01614, LPP-AS2) risk model was constructed. Based on the risk score, samples were divided into the high- and low-risk groups. Patients in the low-risk group had better prognosis than those in high-risk group. Compared to traditional clinicopathological features, risk score was more accurate in predicting prognosis in patients with PTC. Additionally, the difference of immune cell, function and checkpoints was observed between two groups. Moreover, experiments showed that LINC00900 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion in TPC-1 and BCPAP cells, while LINC01614 and PARAL1 revealed opposite effects, all of which were related to ferroptosis.

Conclusions

In summary, we identified a five-ferroptosis-related lncRNAs risk model to predict the prognosis of PTC. Furthermore, our study also revealed that LINC00900 functioned as a tumor suppressor lncRNA, LINC01614 and PARAL1 as an oncogenic lncRNA in PTC.

NAT10 inhibition promotes ac4C-dependent ferroptosis to counteract sorafenib resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Sorafenib, an anticancer drug, has been shown to induce ferroptosis in cancer cells. However, resistance to sorafenib greatly limits its therapeutic efficacy, and the exact mechanism of resistance is not fully understood. This study investigated the role of N-Acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) in influencing the anticancer activity of sorafenib in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its molecular mechanism. NAT10 expression was significantly upregulated in NPC. Mechanistically, NAT10 promotes proteins of solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) expression through ac4C acetylation, inhibiting sorafenib-induced ferroptosis in NPC cells. The combined application of sorafenib and the NAT10 inhibitor remodelin significantly inhibits SLC7A11 expression and promotes ferroptosis in NPC cells. In vivo knockout of NAT10 inhibited the growth of sorafenib-resistant NPC. Our findings suggest that NAT10 inhibition might be a promising therapeutic approach to enhance the anticancer activity of sorafenib.

STAT5B Suppresses Ferroptosis by Promoting DCAF13 Transcription to Regulate p53/xCT Pathway to Promote Mantle Cell Lymphoma Progression

Objective

The purpose of this study was to analyze the mechanism by which STAT5B inhibits ferroptosis in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) by promoting DCAF13 transcriptional regulation of p53/xCT pathway.

Methods

The correlations between STAT5B, DCAF13 and ferroptosis in MCL were analyzed using Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA, http://gepia.cancer-pku.cn/index.html). The expression levels and pairwise correlations of STAT5B, DCAF13, p53 and xCT in MCL patients were detected, respectively. STAT5B was silenced to confirm their criticality in MCL ferroptosis. the effects of blocking necrosis, apoptosis and ferroptosis on the anti-MCL effects of STAT5B were examined. Cells with STAT5B overexpression and/or DCAF13 silencing were constructed to confirm the involvement of DCAF13 in the STAT5B-regulated p53/xCT pathway. The regulation of p53 ubiquitination was confirmed by DCAF13 overexpression and MG132. The effects of silencing DCAF13 and MG132 on STAT5B overexpression on MCL was clarified by a tumor-bearing nude mouse model.

Results

DCAF13 was overexpressed in MCL and positively correlated with STAT5B, negatively correlated with p53, and positively correlated with xCT. Inhibition of ferroptosis alleviated the inhibitory effects of siSTAT5B on MCL, while inhibition of necrosis and apoptosis had few effects. Silencing of DCAF13 led to the blocking of STAT5B regulation of p53/xCT and ferroptosis. The changes in DCAF13 and the addition of MG132 did not have statistically significant effects on p53 mRNA. Elevation of DCAF13 resulted in downregulation of p53 protein levels, and this inhibition was reversed by MG132. In animal models, the promotion of MCL and the inhibition of ferroptosis by STAT5B. Silencing of DCAF13 blocked STAT5B inhibition of p53 and induction of xCT, GPX4, and GSH.

Conclusion

STAT5B suppresses ferroptosis by promoting DCAF13 transcription to regulate p53/xCT pathway to promote MCL progression.

The role of ferroptosis in acute kidney injury: mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common and severe clinical renal syndromes with high morbidity and mortality. Ferroptosis is a form of programmed cell death (PCD), is characterized by iron overload, reactive oxygen species accumulation, and lipid peroxidation. As ferroptosis has been increasingly studied in recent years, it is closely associated with the pathophysiological process of AKI and provides a target for the treatment of AKI. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the regulatory mechanisms of ferroptosis, summarizes its role in various AKI models, and explores its interaction with other forms of cell death, it also presents research on ferroptosis in AKI progression to other diseases. Additionally, the review highlights methods for detecting and assessing AKI through the lens of ferroptosis and describes potential inhibitors of ferroptosis for AKI treatment. Finally, the review presents a perspective on the future of clinical AKI treatment, aiming to stimulate further research on ferroptosis in AKI.

Disulfidptosis: A new type of cell death

Disulfidptosis is a novel form of cell death that is distinguishable from established programmed cell death pathways such as apoptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and oxeiptosis. This process is characterized by the rapid depletion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) in cells and high expression of solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) during glucose starvation, resulting in abnormal cystine accumulation, which subsequently induces andabnormal disulfide bond formation in actin cytoskeleton proteins, culminating in actin network collapse and disulfidptosis. This review aimed to summarize the underlying mechanisms, influencing factors, comparisons with traditional cell death pathways, associations with related diseases, application prospects, and future research directions related to disulfidptosis.

Involvement of multiple forms of cell death in patulin-induced toxicities

Patulin (PAT) is the most common mycotoxin found in moldy fruits and their derived products, and is reported to cause diverse toxic effects, including hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity and dermal toxicity. The cell death induction by PAT is suggested to be a key cellular mechanism involved in PAT-induced toxicities. Accumulating evidence indicates that the multiple forms of cell death are induced in response to PAT exposure, including apoptosis, autophagic cell death, pyroptosis and ferroptosis. Mechanistically, the cell death induction by PAT is associated the oxidative stress induction via reducing the antioxidant capacity or inducing pro-oxidant NADPH oxidase, the activation of mitochondrial pathway via regulating BCL-2 family proteins, the disruption of iron metabolism through ferritinophagy-mediated ferritin degradation, and the induction of the NOD-like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome/caspase-1/gasdermin D (GSDMD) pathway. In this review article, we summarize the present understanding of the cell death induction by PAT, discuss the potential signaling pathways underlying PAT-induced cell death, and propose the issues that need to be addressed to promote the development of cell death-based approach to counteract PAT-induced toxicities.

Plumbagin induces ferroptosis in colon cancer cells by regulating p53-related SLC7A11 expression

Objective

This study examined the mechanism through which plumbagin induces ferroptosis of colon cancer cells.

Methods

CCK-8 assay was performed to examine the viability of colon cancer cells (SW480 and HCT116 cells) after they were treated with 0-, 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-μmol/L plumbagin. Colony formation assay and Transwell assay were used to examine the effects of 15-μmol/L plumbagin on the proliferation, invasive ability. The ferroptosis of SW480 and HCT116 cells and the expression of p-p53, p53 and SLC7A11 were analysed. The effects of blocking necrosis, apoptosis and ferroptosis on the anti-cancer effects of plumbagin were examined. After p53 was silenced, the effects of plumbagin on proliferation, invasion, ferroptosis and SLC7A11 expression were assessed. A tumour-bearing nude mouse model was used to examine the effects of p53 silencing and/or plumbagin on tumour growth, ferroptosis and SLC7A11 expression.

Results

Plumbagin inhibited the proliferation of SW480 and HCT116 cells and their invasive and colony-forming abilities. It increased Fe2+ levels but significantly decreased GSH and GPX4 levels. When ferroptosis was inhibited, the effects of plumbagin on colon cancer cells were significantly alleviated. Plumbagin promoted the expression and phosphorylation of p53 and inhibited the mRNA and protein levels of SLC7A11. Silencing of p53 counteracted the effects of plumbagin on the ferroptosis and biological behaviour of SW480 and HCT116 cells. In mouse models of colon cancer, silencing of p53 attenuated the tumour-suppressing effects of plumbagin as well as its inhibitory effects on the protein level of SLC7A11 and restored the expression of GSH and GPX4.

Conclusion

Plumbagin promotes ferroptosis and inhibits cell proliferation and invasion by decreasing the protein expression of SLC7A11 through p53.

Role of ferroptosis in food-borne mycotoxin-induced toxicities

Contamination by toxic substances is a major global food safety issue, which poses a serious threat to human health. Mycotoxins are major class of food contaminants, mainly including aflatoxins (AFs), zearalenone (ZON), deoxynivalenol (DON), ochratoxin A (OTA), fumonisins (FBs) and patulin (PAT). Ferroptosis is a newly identified iron-dependent form of programmed or regulated cell death, which has been found to be involved in diverse pathological conditions. Recently, a growing body of evidence has shown that ferroptosis is implicated in the toxicities induced by certain types of food-borne mycotoxins, which provides novel mechanistic insights into mycotoxin-induced toxicities and paves the way for developing ferroptosis-based strategy to combat against toxicities of mycotoxins. In this review article, we summarize the key findings on the involvement of ferroptosis in mycotoxin-induced toxicities and propose issues that need to be addressed in future studies for better utilization of ferroptosis-based approach to manage the toxic effects of mycotoxin contamination.

The association between ferroptosis and autophagy in cardiovascular diseases

Autophagy is a process in which cells degrade intracellular substances and play a variety of roles in cells, such as maintaining intracellular homeostasis, preventing cell overgrowth, and removing pathogens. It is highly conserved during the evolution of eukaryotic cells. So far, the study of autophagy is still a hot topic in the field of cytology. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of cell death, accompanied by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxides. With the deepening of research, it has been found that ferroptosis, like autophagy, is involved in the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases. The relationship between autophagy and ferroptosis is complex, and the association between the two in cardiovascular disease remains to be clarified. This article reviews the mechanism of autophagy and ferroptosis and their correlation, and discusses the relationship between them in cardiovascular diseases, which is expected to provide new and important treatment strategies for cardiovascular diseases.

Ochratoxin A Induces Renal Cell Ferroptosis by Disrupting Iron Homeostasis and Increasing ROS

Mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) is a critical food safety concern due to its nephron-toxic effects and is detected in a wide range of food and feedstuffs. OTA nephrotoxicity is related to oxidative stress and damage. However, the mediator(s) of the excessive oxidative stress is unclear. The current study used human kidney cell lines to investigate whether and how intracellular iron contributed to OTA-induced ROS accumulation and how OTA-induced iron-dependent ferroptotic cell death. Our results showed that OTA treatment affected the cell viability and induced the typical characteristics of cell ferroptosis. Furthermore, gene and protein expression results indicated that OTA disrupted iron homeostasis by upregulating the expression levels of iron importer TFR1 and FTH, while downregulating the expression level of iron exporter FPN and dramatically increasing its negative regulator Hepcidin. The changes were consistent with the induction of intracellular iron accumulation and elevated levels of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Additionally, co-treatment with OTA and an iron chelator significantly improved cell viability, reduced cellular total iron and ROS, and reversed OTA-induced changes in iron metabolism gene expression levels. Interestingly, the addition of a ROS scavenger also reversed cell death and changes in mRNA and protein expression levels of iron metabolism genes but to a lesser degree than that of the iron-chelating agent. Our results revealed that OTA induced ferroptosis in renal cells by disrupting iron homeostasis and increasing ROS.

Formation of adducts during digestion triggered dietary protein for alleviating cytotoxicity of 2-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone

2-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone (TBBQ), a degradation product of lipid antioxidant Tert-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), is a new hazardous compound in foods. This study investigated whether co-ingestion of dietary protein and TBBQ can alleviate the toxicity of TBBQ. The results indicated that soy protein isolate, whey protein isolate, and rice protein significantly reduced the residual amount of TBBQ during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. This result was attributed to the excellent elimination capacity of the released amino acids for TBBQ through formation of adducts. Among 20 amino acids, histidine, lysine, glycine, and cysteine showed better elimination capacity for TBBQ; they can eliminate 92.1%, 89.4%, 86.1%, and almost 100%, respectively, in 5 min at pH 8.0. Further study indicated that amino acids with lower ionization constant exhibited greater TBBQ elimination capacity. In addition, incubation of the cells with 50 μM TBBQ for 12 h decreased the cell viability to 28.95 ± 3.25%; while amino acids intervention was involved in the alleviation of TBBQ cytotoxicity via decreasing ROS. Particularly, cysteine showed 100 times more TBBQ detoxifying capacity than other amino acids. This work could provide a theoretical basis for the potential application of amino acids for detoxifying TBBQ in the food industry.

Molecular Mechanisms of Ferroptosis and Their Involvement in Acute Kidney Injury

Ferroptosis is a novel way of regulating cell death, which occurs in a process that is closely linked to intracellular iron metabolism, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and multiple signaling pathways. The latest research shows that ferroptosis plays a key role in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury (AKI). Ferroptosis may be an important target for treating AKI caused by various reasons, such as ischemia-reperfusion injury, rhabdomyolysis syndrome, sepsis, and nephrotoxic drugs. This paper provides a review on the regulatory mechanisms of ferroptosis and its role in AKI, which may help to provide new research ideas for the treatment of AKI and future research.

Farnesoid X Receptor Plays a Key Role in Ochratoxin A-Induced Nephrotoxicity by Targeting Ferroptosis In Vivo and In Vitro

The mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) causes nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and immunotoxicity in animals and humans. The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a member of the NR family and is highly expressed in the kidney, which has an antilipid production function. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death involved in several pathophysiological cell death and kidney injury. The present study aims to evaluate the role of FXR and ferroptosis in OTA-induced nephrotoxicity in mice and HK-2 cells. Results showed that OTA induced nephrotoxicity as demonstrated by inducing the histopathological lesions and neutrophil infiltration of the kidney, increasing serum BUN, CRE, and UA levels, increasing Ntn-1, Kim-1, and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, and decreasing IL-10 expression and the cell viability of HK-2 cells. OTA treatment also induced FXR deficiency, ROS release, MDA level increase, GSH content decrease, and 4-HNE production in the kidney and HK-2 cells. OTA treatment induced ferroptosis as demonstrated by increasing labile iron pool and lipid peroxidation levels as well as Acsl4, TFR1, and HO-1 mRNA and protein levels, decreasing GPX4 and FTH mRNA and protein expressions, and inducing mitochondrial injury. The FXR activator (GW4064) rescued the accumulation of lipid peroxides, intracellular ROS, and Fe2+, inhibited ferroptosis, and alleviated OTA-induced nephrotoxicity. The ferroptosis inhibitor (Fer-1) prevented ferroptosis and attenuated nephrotoxicity. Collectively, this study elucidates that FXR played a critical role in OTA-induced nephrotoxicity via regulation of ferroptosis, which provides a novel strategy against OTA-induced nephrotoxicity.

Inhibition of Connexin43 Improves the Recovery of Spinal Cord Injury Against Ferroptosis via the SLC7A11/GPX4 Pathway

Ferroptosis plays a key role in the process of spinal cord injury (SCI). As a signal amplifier, connexin 43 (CX43) participates in cell death signal transduction and aggravates the propagation of injury. However, it remains unclear whether CX43 plays a regulatory role in ferroptosis after SCI. The SCI rat model was established by an Infinite Vertical Impactor to investigate the role of CX43 in SCI-induced ferroptosis. Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1), an inhibitor of ferroptosis, and a CX43-specific inhibitor (Gap27) were administered by intraperitoneal injection. Behavioral analysis was assessed according to the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) Motor Rating Scale and the inclined plate test. The levels of ferroptosis-related proteins were estimated by qRT-PCR and western blotting, while the histopathology of neuronal injury induced by SCI was evaluated by immunofluorescence, Nissl, FJB and Perl's Blue staining. Meanwhile, transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructural changes characteristic of ferroptosis. Gap27 strongly inhibited ferroptosis and therefore improved the functional recovery of SCI, which was similar to the treatment of Fer-1. Notably, the inhibition of CX43 decreased P-mTOR/mTOR expression and reversed the decrease in SLC7A11 induced by SCI. As a result, the levels of GPX4 and glutathione (GSH) increased, while the levels of the lipid peroxidation products 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased. Together, inhibition of CX43 could alleviate ferroptosis after SCI. These findings reveal a potential mechanism of the neuroprotective role of CX43 after SCI and provide a new theoretical basis for clinical transformation and application.

ROS induced lipid peroxidation and their role in ferroptosis

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a crucial part in the process of cell death, including apoptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis. ROS involves in the oxidation of lipids and generate 4-hydroxynonenal and other compounds associated with it. Ferroptosis may be facilitated by lipid peroxidation of phospholipid bilayers. In order to offer novel ideas and directions for the investigation of disorders connected to these processes, we evaluate the function of ROS in lipid peroxidation which ultimately leads to ferroptosis as well as proposed crosstalk mechanisms between ferroptosis and other types programmed cell death.

NAT10, an RNA Cytidine Acetyltransferase, Regulates Ferroptosis in Cancer Cells

Recently, we reported that N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) regulates fatty acid metabolism through ac4C-dependent RNA modification of key genes in cancer cells. During this work, we noticed ferroptosis as one of the most negatively enriched pathways among other pathways in NAT10-depleted cancer cells. In the current work, we explore the possibility of whether NAT10 acts as an epitranscriptomic regulator of the ferroptosis pathway in cancer cells. Global ac4C levels and expression of NAT10 with other ferroptosis-related genes were assessed via dotblot and RT-qPCR, respectively. Flow cytometry and biochemical analysis were used to assess oxidative stress and ferroptosis features. The ac4C-mediated mRNA stability was conducted using RIP-PCR and mRNA stability assay. Metabolites were profiled using LC-MS/MS. Our results showed significant downregulation in expression of essential genes related to ferroptosis, namely SLC7A11, GCLC, MAP1LC3A, and SLC39A8 in NAT10-depleted cancer cells. Further, we noticed a reduction in cystine uptake and reduced GSH levels, along with elevated ROS, and lipid peroxidation levels in NAT10-depleted cells. Consistently, overproduction of oxPLs, as well as increased mitochondrial depolarization and decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes, support the notion of ferroptosis induction in NAT10-depleted cancer cells. Mechanistically, a reduced ac4C level shortens the half-life of GCLC and SLC7A11 mRNA, resulting in low levels of intracellular cystine and reduced GSH, failing to detoxify ROS, and leading to increased cellular oxPLs, which facilitate ferroptosis induction. Collectively, our findings suggest that NAT10 restrains ferroptosis by stabilizing the SLC7A11 mRNA transcripts in order to avoid oxidative stress that induces oxidation of phospholipids to initiate ferroptosis.

Ferroptosis as a Potential Therapeutic Target of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Mycotoxicosis: A Review

Mycotoxin contamination has become one of the biggest hidden dangers of food safety, which seriously threatens human health. Understanding the mechanisms by which mycotoxins exert toxicity is key to detoxification. Ferroptosis is an adjustable cell death characterized by iron overload and lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and glutathione (GSH) depletion. More and more studies have shown that ferroptosis is involved in organ damage from mycotoxins exposure, and natural antioxidants can alleviate mycotoxicosis as well as effectively regulate ferroptosis. In recent years, research on the treatment of diseases by Chinese herbal medicine through ferroptosis has attracted more attention. This article reviews the mechanism of ferroptosis, discusses the role of ferroptosis in mycotoxicosis, and summarizes the current status of the regulation of various mycotoxicosis through ferroptosis by Chinese herbal interventions, providing a potential strategy for better involvement of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of mycotoxicosis in the future.

Natural Flavonoids and Ferroptosis: Potential Therapeutic Opportunities for Human Diseases

Flavonoids are a class of bioactive phytochemicals containing a core 2-phenylchromone skeleton and are widely found in fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Such natural compounds have gained significant attention due to their various health benefits. Ferroptosis is a recently discovered unique iron-dependent mode of cell death. Unlike traditional regulated cell death (RCD), ferroptosis is associated with excessive lipid peroxidation on cellular membranes. Accumulating evidence suggests that this form of RCD is involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Notably, multiple flavonoids have been shown to be effective in preventing and treating diverse human diseases by regulating ferroptosis. In this review, we introduce the key molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis, including iron metabolism, lipid metabolism, and several major antioxidant systems. Additionally, we summarize the promising flavonoids targeting ferroptosis, which provides novel ideas for the management of diseases such as cancer, acute liver injury, neurodegenerative diseases, and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.

Targeting ferroptosis: a novel insight against myocardial infarction and ischemia-reperfusion injuries

Ferroptosis, a newly discovered form of regulated cell death dependent on iron and reactive oxygen species, is mainly characterized by mitochondrial shrinkage, increased density of bilayer membranes and the accumulation of lipid peroxidation, causing membrane lipid peroxidation and eventually cell death. Similar with the most forms of regulated cell death, ferroptosis also participated in the pathological metabolism of myocardial infarction and myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injuries, which are still the leading causes of death worldwide. Given the crucial roles ferroptosis played in cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction and myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injuries, it is considerable to delve into the molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis contributing to the progress of cardiovascular diseases, which might offer the potential role of ferroptosis as a targeted treatment for a wide range of cardiovascular diseases. This review systematically summarizes the process and regulatory metabolisms of ferroptosis, discusses the relationship between ferroptosis and myocardial infarction as well as myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injuries, which might potentially provide novel insights for the pathological metabolism and original ideas for the prevention as well as treatment targeting ferroptosis of cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injuries.

Ferroptosis: A new insight for treatment of acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI), one of the most prevalent clinical diseases with a high incidence rate worldwide, is characterized by a rapid deterioration of renal function and further triggers the accumulation of metabolic waste and toxins, leading to complications and dysfunction of other organs. Multiple pathogenic factors, such as rhabdomyolysis, infection, nephrotoxic medications, and ischemia-reperfusion injury, contribute to the onset and progression of AKI. However, the detailed mechanism remains unclear. Ferroptosis, a recently identified mechanism of nonapoptotic cell death, is iron-dependent and caused by lipid peroxide accumulation in cells. A variety of studies have demonstrated that ferroptosis plays a significant role in AKI development, in contrast to other forms of cell death, such as apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis. In this review, we systemically summarized the definition, primary biochemical mechanisms, key regulators and associated pharmacological research progress of ferroptosis in AKI. We further discussed its therapeutic potential for the prevention of AKI, in the hope of providing a useful reference for further basic and clinical studies.

Lycopene alleviates multiple-mycotoxin-induced toxicity by inhibiting mitochondrial damage and ferroptosis in the mouse jejunum

Multiple mycotoxins contamination in foods and feeds threatens human and animal health after they accumulate in the food chain, producing various toxic effects. The common mycotoxins contaimination in feeds are zearalenone (ZEN), deoxynivalenol (DON), and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), but the effects of their co-exposure on the jejunum are not well understood. Lycopene (LYC) has been reported to have antioxidant activity that alleviates jejunal damage. In this study, we investigated the possible role of LYC as a treatment to mitigate the combined effects of ZEN, DON, and AFB1 on the jejunum of mice. Eighty male specific-pathogen-free ICR mice were randomly allocated to treatments with LYC (10 mg kg-1) and/or ZEN + DON + AFB1 (10 mg kg-1 ZEN, 1 mg kg-1 DON, and 0.5 mg kg-1 AFB1). The results indicated that LYC alleviated ZEN + DON + AFB1-induced jejunal injury by ameliorating the jejunal structural injury and increasing the villus height/crypt depth ratio and the levels of tight junction proteins (zonula occludens 1 [ZO1], occludin1 and claudin1) in the mouse jejunum. LYC also inhibited the oxidative stress induced by co-exposure to ZEN, DON, and AFB1 via reducing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and enhancing the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC). LYC also alleviated jejunal mitochondrial damage in the ZEN + DON + AFB1-affected mice, evident as an increase in mitochondrial fission 1 (Fis1) transcription and a reduction in mitochondrial mitofusin 1 (Mfn1) and Mfn2 transcription. Co-exposure to ZEN, DON, and AFB1 also significantly increased the transcription of ferroptosis-related genes (transferrin receptor 1 (Tfr1), ferritin heavy chain 1 [Fth1], solute carrier family 3 member 2 [Slc3a2], and glutathione peroxidase 4 [Gpx4]), TFR1 and Fe2+ concentration. Notably, LYC potentially alleviated ZEN + DON + AFB1-induced jejunal ferroptosis. These results demonstrate that LYC alleviates ZEN + DON + AFB1-induced jejunal toxicity by inhibiting oxidative stress-mediated ferroptosis and mitochondrial damage in mice.

Ferroptosis and its role in skeletal muscle diseases

Ferroptosis is characterized by the accumulation of iron and lipid peroxidation products, which regulates physiological and pathological processes in numerous organs and tissues. A growing body of research suggests that ferroptosis is a key causative factor in a variety of skeletal muscle diseases, including sarcopenia, rhabdomyolysis, rhabdomyosarcoma, and exhaustive exercise-induced fatigue. However, the relationship between ferroptosis and various skeletal muscle diseases has not been investigated systematically. This review’s objective is to provide a comprehensive summary of the mechanisms and signaling factors that regulate ferroptosis, including lipid peroxidation, iron/heme, amino acid metabolism, and autophagy. In addition, we tease out the role of ferroptosis in the progression of different skeletal muscle diseases and ferroptosis as a potential target for the treatment of multiple skeletal muscle diseases. This review can provide valuable reference for the research on the pathogenesis of skeletal muscle diseases, as well as for clinical prevention and treatment.