Inhibition of USP14 Suppresses ROS-dependent Ferroptosis and Alleviates Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury.

The ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (USP14) is a deubiquitinating enzyme, its inhibitor was reported could alleviate the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-stimulated cerebral neuronal damage. However, its specific role in I/R-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) remains unclear. We established hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced HK-2 cell injury model in vitro and I/R-induced kidney injury mice model in vivo. The expression or activity of USP14 was inhibited by siRNA or IU1, a small molecule inhibitor of USP14. ROS were scavenged by N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC). Biochemical index analysis and hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining were performed to evaluate renal injury. The results indicated that USP14 was upregulated in H/R-induced HK-2 cells and kidney tissues of I/R mice. Inhibition of USP14 suppressed the cell death, inflammatory, oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent ferroptosis of H/R-induced HK-2 cells. What's more, IU1 and NAC effectively alleviated renal injury of I/R mice. In summary, this study suggested that inhibition of USP14 protected renal from I/R injury.