铁抑素-1对糖尿病中晚期小鼠肝肾组织的保护作用

Protective Effects of Ferrostatin-1 on Liver and Kidney Tissues in Mice with Middle and Late Stages of Diabetes

糖尿病是一种发病率高且并发症多的代谢性疾病,其中2型糖尿病(type 2 diabetes mellitus,T2DM)占比较大。目前研究表明,T2DM伴随着肝、肾等脏器损伤引起并发症,严重危害人体健康。铁死亡通过芬顿反应产生大量活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS),ROS累积会激活缺氧诱导因子-1α(hypoxia inducible factor-1,HIF-1α),从而引发血管内皮生长因子(vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF)水平升高,铁死亡抑制剂——铁抑素-1(ferrostatin-1,Fer-1)具有强抗氧化能力,所以基于缺氧诱导因子-1α/血管内皮生长因子(HIF-1α/VEGF)信号通路,探讨Fer-1对糖尿病中晚期小鼠肝、肾组织的保护作用。实验以21~22周龄db/db小鼠作为糖尿病中晚期模型,铁死亡抑制剂Fer-1为干预药物。db/m小鼠为空白对照组,连续4周测量体重、血糖,实验中还对各组小鼠进食量、饮水量进行记录;测定血清中丙氨酸氨基转移酶(alanine aminotransferase,ALT)、天冬氨酸氨基转移酶(aspartate aminotransferase,AST)水平,测定肝肾组织中ROS、谷胱甘肽(glutathione,GSH)活性以及尿蛋白含量,并用苏木素-伊红(hematoxylin-eosin,HE)染色处理肝、肾组织切片,光镜观察病理学形态,再通过Western印迹法分别检测肝、肾组织中HIF-1α、VEGF和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶4(glutathione peroxidase 4,GPX4)蛋白质水平。在db/db组小鼠中发现,Fer-1(1 mg·kg^(-1),ig)可明显减少进食量和饮水量,降低小鼠血清中的ALT、AST水平、肝肾组织中ROS生成量以及尿蛋白水平,显著升高GSH活性,显著改善了肝、肾的病理组织状况,并且明显抑制肝肾组织中HIF-1α和VEGF蛋白质指标、提高GPX4蛋白水平。Fer-1虽不能改变糖尿病小鼠的体重和降低血糖,但能对糖尿病中晚期小鼠的肝、肾组织发挥保护作用,其作用机制可能与HIF-1α/VEGF和GPX4有关。

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease with high incidence and many complications,among which type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)accounts for a large proportion.Current studies have shown that T2DM is accompanied by damage of liver,kidney,and other organs and its complications seriously endanger human health.Ferroptosis generates many Reactive Oxygen Species(ROS)through the Fenton reaction,and the accumulation of ROS activates Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1(HIF-1α).As a result,the level of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)is increased.Ferrostatin-1(Fer-1),a ferroptosis inhibitor,has strong antioxidant capacity.Therefore,based on the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α/vascular endothelial growth factor(HIF-1α/VEGF)signaling pathway,we explored the therapeutic effect of Fer-1 on the liver and kidney tissues of diabetic mice.db/db mice(21~22 weeks old)were used as the model of diabetes mellitus.Ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 was used as the intervention drug.db/m mice served as the blank control group,and body weight and blood glucose were measured for 4 weeks.Food intake and water intake were recorded in each group.The levels of Alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and Aspartate aminotransferase(AST)in the serum were measured.ROS and Glutathione(GSH)activity in liver and kidney tissues and urinary protein content were measured.Liver and kidney tissue sections were stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin(HE),and the pathological morphology was observed under a light microscope.The protein levels of HIF-1α,VEGF,and glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)in liver and kidney tissues were detected by Western blot.In db/db mice,Fer-1(1 mg[DK]·kg^(-1),ig)could significantly reduce the amount of food and water intake,the levels of ALT and AST in serum,the ROS production in liver and kidney tissues,and the level of urine protein,but significantly increase the activity of GSH,thus improve the pathological conditions of liver and kidney.Fer-1 also significantly inhibited HIF-1αand VEGF protein indexes and increased GPX4 protein levels in liver and kidney tissues.Although Fer-1 can not change the body weight and reduce blood glucose in diabetic mice,it can play a therapeutic role in the liver and kidney tissues of diabetic mice in the middle and late stages,and its mechanism may be related to HIF-1α/VEGF and GPX4.