2. Academic Validation
  3. Heme Oxygenase-1-Modified BMMSCs Activate AMPK-Nrf2-FTH1 to Reduce Severe Steatotic Liver Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Heme Oxygenase-1-Modified BMMSCs Activate AMPK-Nrf2-FTH1 to Reduce Severe Steatotic Liver Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

  • Dig Dis Sci. 2023 Sep 14. doi: 10.1007/s10620-023-08102-0.
Xiaorong Tian 1,  Yuxin Wang 1,  Mengshu Yuan 1,  Weiping Zheng 2 3,  Huaiwen Zuo 1,  Xinru Zhang 1,  Hongli Song 4 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Tianjin First Central Hospital Clinic Institute, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, People's Republic of China.
  • 2 Department of Organ Transplantation, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300192, People's Republic of China.
  • 3 NHC Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, Tianjin, 300192, People's Republic of China.
  • 4 Department of Organ Transplantation, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300192, People's Republic of China. hlsong26@163.com.
  • 5 Tianjin Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, No. 24 Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300192, People's Republic of China. hlsong26@163.com.
PMID: 37707747 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-023-08102-0
Abstract

Background: Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is an important cause of graft dysfunction post-liver transplantation, where donor liver with severe steatosis is more sensitive to IRI. Liver IRI involves Ferroptosis and can be alleviated by heme oxygenase-1-modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (HO-1/BMMSCs).

Aims: To explore the role and mechanism of HO-1/BMMSCs in severe steatotic liver IRI.

Methods: A severe steatotic liver IRI rat model and a hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) of severe steatosis hepatocyte model were established. Liver and hepatocyte damage was evaluated via liver histopathology and cell activity. Ferroptosis was evaluated through Ferroptosis indexes. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) was knocked down in severe steatotic hepatocytes. The role of Nrf2 and AMPK in HO-1/BMMSC inhibition of Ferroptosis was examined using the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway inhibitor Compound C.

Results: The HO-1/BMMSCs alleviated severe steatotic liver IRI and Ferroptosis. HO-1/BMMSCs promoted ferritin heavy chain 1(FTH1), Nrf2, and phosphorylated (p)-AMPK expression in the H/R severe steatotic hepatocytes. Nrf2 knockdown decreased FTH1 expression levels but did not significantly affect p-AMPK expression levels. The protective effect of HO-1/BMMSCs against H/R injury in severe steatotic hepatocytes and the inhibitory effect on Ferroptosis were reduced. Compound C decreased p-AMPK, Nrf2, and FTH1 expression levels, weakened the HO-1/BMMSC protective effect against severe steatotic liver IRI and H/R-injured severe steatotic hepatocytes, and reduced the inhibition of Ferroptosis.

Conclusions: Ferroptosis was involved in HO-1/BMMSC reduction of severe steatotic liver IRI. HO-1/BMMSCs protected against severe steatotic liver IRI by inhibiting Ferroptosis through the AMPK-Nrf2-FTH1 pathway. HO-1/BMMSCs activate AMPK, which activates Nrf2, promotes its nuclear transcription, then promotes the expression of its downstream protein FTH1, thereby inhibiting Ferroptosis and attenuating severe steatotic liver IRI in rats. Glu: glutamic acid; Cys: cystine; GSH: glutathione; GPX4: Glutathione Peroxidase 4; HO-1/BMMSCs: HO-1-modified BMMSCs; Fer-1: ferrostatin-1; DFO: deferoxamine; FTH1: ferritin heavy chain1; p-AMPK: phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase; Nrf2: nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; IRI: ischemia-reperfusion injury; MCD: methionine-choline deficiency.

Keywords

AMPK–Nrf2–FTH1; Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; Ferroptosis; Ischemia–reperfusion injury; Liver steatosis.

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