Tanshinone IIA protects intestinal epithelial cells from ferroptosis through the upregulation of GPX4 and SLC7A11

Background:Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract.The destruction of the intestinal epithelial barrier is one of the major pathological processes in IBD pathology.Growing evidence indicated that epithelial cell ferroptosis is linked to IBD and is considered a target process.Methods:RAS-selective lethal 3(RSL3)was used to induce ferroptosis in intestinal epithelial cell line No.6(IEC-6)cells,and cell ferroptosis and the effects of tanshinone IIA(Tan IIA)were determined by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8),reactive oxygen species(ROS)staining,Giemsa staining and transmission electron microscope(TEM).The cell viability of natural product library compounds was determined by CCK-8.The expression of ferroptosis-related genes were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)and western blot.Results:Treatment of IEC-6 cells results in the accumulation of ROS and typical morphological characteristics of ferroptosis.RSL3 treatment caused rapid cellular cytotoxicity which could be reversed by ferrostatin-1(Fer-1)in IEC-6 cells.Natural product library screening revealed that Tan IIA is a potent inhibitor of IEC-6 cell ferroptosis.Tan IIA could significantly protect the RSL3-induced ferroptosis of IEC-6 cells.Furthermore,the ferroptosis suppressors,glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4),solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11),and miR-17-92 were found to be early response genes in RSL3-treated cells.Treatment of IEC-6 cells with Tan IIA resulted in upregulation of GPX4,SLC7A11,and miR-17-92.Conclusion:Our study demonstrated that Tan IIA protects IEC-6 cells from ferroptosis through the upregulation of GPX4,SLC7A11,and miR-17-92.The findings might provide a theoretical grounding for the future application of Tan IIA to treat or prevent IBD.

The antioxidant trolox inhibits aging and enhances prostaglandin E-2 secretion in mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)have been widely used in regenerative medicine and clinical therapy due to their capabilities of proliferation,differentiation,and immune regulation.However,during in vitro expansion,MSCs are prone to aging,which largely limits their application.Prostaglandin E-2(PGE-2)is a key effector secreted by MSCs to exert immunomodulatory effects.By screening the compound library for PGE-2 secretion,the antioxidant trolox was verified as a stimulator of MSCs to secrete PGE-2.The effect of antioxidant trolox on biological characteristics of MSCS,including aging,proliferation,and gene expression,was examined.The results demonstrated that trolox can resist aging,promote proliferation,and enhance PGE-2 secretion of MSCs without affecting their surface marker expression.Furthermore,trolox treatment up-regulates miR-17-92 clusters in MSCs and may contribute to its anti-aging effects.Thus,trolox addition might be beneficial for MSCs expansion and their application.