Jinwu Jiangu capsule attenuates rheumatoid arthritis via the SLC7A11/GSH/GPX4 pathway in M1 macrophages.

JinWu JianGu capsule (JWJGC) is a Chinese herbal medicine that alleviates the clinical manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the mechanism of action requires further investigation.. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of JWJGC on RA via the regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ferroptosis. JWJGC was administered to rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) via oral gavage for 28 days. In vitro, M1 macrophages were pre-treated with JWJGC-containing serum. After assessing joint swelling and physiologic, the M1/M2 macrophage ratio was detected in CIA rats. The levels of ROS markers were assessed in the serum and cell supernatants. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyses were employed to check lipid metabolism, and changes in mitochondrial morphology during ferroptosis were detected by transmission electron microscopy. Western blotting, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and qRT-PCR were performed to validate these results. JWJGC ameliorated CIA by reducing ROS levels in rats. It also restored the balance of the M1/M2 macrophage ratio and reduced the levels of macrophage-related inflammatory markers. Additionally, JWJGC affected lipid metabolism to alleviate inflammation by downregulating lipids associated with ferroptosis. It attenuated ferroptosis by modulating glutathione (GSH)/ Glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4) expression in CIA rats. In vitro, JWJGC targeted M1 macrophages via the solute carrier family 7a member 11 (SLC7A11)/GSH/GPX4 signaling pathway. This study showed that JWJGC improved RA, primarily through the integrated regulation of the SLC7A11/GSH/GPX4 pathway in M1 macrophages. These findings provide an innovative therapeutic basis for RA treatment and expanding the clinical applications of JWJGC.

Ling Y ，Yang Y ，Ren N ，Xu H ，Cheng C ，Lu D ，Wang Q ，Yao X ，Ma W ... -  《-》

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide alleviates ferroptosis in Sertoli cells through NRF2/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway and ameliorates DEHP-induced male reproductive damage in mice.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is a common plasticizer that has been shown to significantly negatively affect male reproductive health. On the other hand, Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) has been shown to improve reproductive function. Therefore, we hypothesized that LBP may ameliorate DEHP-induced male reproductive damage. Herein, we found that LBP could alleviate DEHP-induced testicular damage and sperm abnormalities. Furthermore, histomorphological analysis of mice testis revealed that LBP primarily ameliorated the DEHP-induced male reproductive damage by targeting Sertoli cells. Moreover, the detection of the function-related genes of Sertoli cells confirmed this finding. The serum of mice in the Control, DEHP, and DEHP+LBP groups was analyzed using non-targeted metabolomics to further elucidate the mechanism of action of LBP in improving DEHP-induced male reproductive damage. According to the results, the differential metabolites were mainly enriched in the glutamate metabolism pathway, implying that LBP may alleviate the ferroptosis-related DEHP-induced testicular injury. Related ferroptosis markers were also found in mice testis. These findings collectively suggest that LBP may ameliorate DEHP-induced testicular injury via alleviating ferroptosis in Sertoli cells. To clarify the specific mechanism, we constructed a cell model in vitro by treating TM4 cells (the Sertoli cell line) with LBP and MEHP (the in vivo DEHP metabolite). Our findings revealed that LBP can improve the function of DEHP-affected Sertoli cells. Furthermore, the analysis of lipid peroxidation, Fe2+ content, and ferroptosis-related protein expressions demonstrated that LBP could ameliorate MEHP-induced ferroptosis in TM4 cells. To clarify the specific mechanism, glutamate metabolism-related proteins involved in the ferroptosis pathway were detected. According to the results, there were significant changes in the expression of NRF2, SLC7A11 and GPX4 proteins, which are involved in the ferroptosis glutamate metabolism pathway. Furthermore, supplementation of NRF2, SLC7A11, and GPX4 inhibitors (ML385, Erastin, and RSL3, respectively) blocked the therapeutic effect of LBP in alleviating MEHP-induced ferroptosis in TM4 cells, implying that LBP could also ameliorate MEHP-induced ferroptosis via the NRF2/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway. In summary, these findings show that LBP can alleviate DEHP/MEHP-induced ferroptosis through the NRF2/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway, ameliorating Sertoli cell dysfunction and improving the DEHP-induced male reproductive damage. Therefore, the clinical administration of LBP could be an effective strategy for preventing DEHP-induced male reproductive injury.

Yang H ，Ding L ，Xu B ，Zhang Z ，Dai W ，He T ，Liu L ，Du X ，Fu X ... -  《-》

BRIP1 Induced Ferroptosis to Inhibit Glioma Cells and was Associated with Increased Oxidative Stress.

Chen C ，Wu ZH ，Lu XJ ，Shi JL ... -  《-》

Bufalin induces ferroptosis by modulating the 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase (DECR1)-SLC7A11 axis in breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase (DECR1), an auxiliary component of beta-oxidation, has been recognized for its role in enhancing lipid peroxidation and inducing ferroptosis in prostate cancer. However, its involvement in breast cancer remains largely unexplored. Our study revealed a notably elevated expression of DECR1 in breast cancer tissues, which correlated with increased malignant characteristics. Importantly, the overexpression of DECR1 significantly enhanced proliferation and migration capabilities in MDA-MB-231 cells. Through a comprehensive high-content screening approach, we identified bufalin and its derivative as potent inhibitors of DECR1 expression. Notably, bufalin demonstrated the highest binding energy during molecular docking studies and was found to promote the degradation of DECR1 via autophagy and ubiquitination. Furthermore, bufalin induced ferroptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells by modulating levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), triglycerides (TG), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Fe2+ while downregulating the expression of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), ferritin heavy chain protein 1 (FPN), solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). These effects were counteracted by DECR1 overexpression. In vivo experiments demonstrated that bufalin inhibited the tumor growth, while decreasing the expression levels of HSL, FPN, SLC7A11, and GPX4, alongside increasing levels of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). Crucially, the ferroptosis effects induced by bufalin in vivo were also reversed by DECR1 overexpression. Subsequently, we discovered that SLC7A11 interacts with DECR1, inhibition of SLC7A11 led to decreased expression levels of DECR1 along with an accumulation of MDA and Fe2+, effects that were similarly reversed by DECR1 overexpression. Collectively, our findings suggest that targeted therapy against DECR1 combined with further inhibition of its downstream pathway involving SLC7A11/GPX4 may represent a promising strategy for treating breast cancer.

Wu S ，Wu X ，Wang Q ，Chen Z ，Li L ，Chen H ，Qi H ... -  《-》

Inhibition of Oxidative Stress-Induced Ferroptosis Can Alleviate Rheumatoid Arthritis in Human.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmunity illness, mainly featured with synovitis of the joint. The specificity of ferroptosis is disparate in different diseases, and the mechanism of ferroptosis in RA has some uncertainty yet. Therefore, the mechanism of ferroptosis was deeply observed in RA patients and animal models. In this paper, plasma of RA patients, the tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced human synovial fibroblasts, and an animal model of arthritis induced by collagen were applied to initially inquire about the therapeutic effect of ferroptosis. For the RA patients, ELISA detected protein expression of glutathione (GSH), GPX4, Nrf2, Keap-1, and ferritin. In cell experiments, erastin or fer-1 regulated the invasion of human synovial fibroblast cells, mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species (ROS) expression, marker protein, and so on. For the animal experiments, 32 Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly separated into four groups with a collagen-induced RA model for 14 days and administered with erastin or fer-1 for 35 days. The expressions of GSH, GPX4, Nrf2, and Keap-1 were lower, and the ferritin was higher in RA patients, and the expressions of these proteins varied significantly after disease remission. In addition, ferroptosis inactivation also reduced the proliferation and migration ability, mitochondrial membrane potential, and ROS in cells. We discovered unexpectedly that activation of ferroptosis meaningfully forbore the foot swelling in animals with CIA, reduced arthritis scores, destruction of bone, and articular synovitis, and also decreased the high expression of inflammatory factors in plasma. There is a nonlinear relationship between human disease manifestations and animal model pathology. Ferroptosis regulating in RA for humans or animals may produce different effects.

Liu Y ，Liang J ，Sha Z ，Yang C ... -  《-》