State Key Laboratory of Frigid Zone Cardiovascular Diseases (SKLFZCD), Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, and Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China; State Key Labratoray -Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, and Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Harbin, China; Research Unit of Noninfectious Chronic Diseases in Frigid Zone (2019RU070), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin, China.
State Key Laboratory of Frigid Zone Cardiovascular Diseases (SKLFZCD), Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, and Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China; State Key Labratoray -Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, and Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Harbin, China; Research Unit of Noninfectious Chronic Diseases in Frigid Zone (2019RU070), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin, China.
Biomed Pharmacother. 2024 Aug;177:117081. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117081. Epub 2024 Jul 5.
The discovery of an inhibitor for acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4), a protein involved in the process of cell injury through ferroptosis, has the potential to ameliorate cell damage. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential of berberine (BBR) as an inhibitor of ACSL4 in order to suppress endothelial ferroptosis and provide protection against atherosclerosis. An atherosclerosis model was created in ApoE mice by feeding a high fat diet for 16 weeks. Additionally, a mouse model with endothelium-specific overexpression of ACSL4 was established. BBR was administered orally to assess its potential therapeutic effects on atherosclerosis. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) to simulate atherosclerotic endothelial damage in vitro. The interaction between ACSL4 and BBR has been confirmed, with BBR playing a role in inhibiting erastin-induced ferroptosis by regulating ACSL4. Additionally, BBR has been found to inhibit lipid deposition, plaque formation, and collagen deposition in the aorta, thereby delaying the progression of atherosclerosis. It also restored the abnormal expression of ferroptosis-related proteins in atherosclerotic vascular endothelial cells both in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, BBR, acting as an ACSL4 inhibitor, can improve atherosclerosis by inhibiting ferroptosis in endothelial cells. This highlights the potential of targeted inhibition of vascular endothelial ACSL4 as a strategy for treating atherosclerosis, with BBR being a candidate for this purpose.
酰基辅酶 A 合成酶长链家族成员 4(ACSL4)抑制剂的发现,这种蛋白参与了铁死亡导致的细胞损伤过程,具有改善细胞损伤的潜力。在这项研究中,我们旨在研究小檗碱(BBR)作为 ACSL4 抑制剂的潜力,以抑制内皮细胞铁死亡并预防动脉粥样硬化。通过给 ApoE 小鼠喂食高脂肪饮食 16 周来建立动脉粥样硬化模型。此外,还建立了内皮细胞特异性过表达 ACSL4 的小鼠模型。通过口服给予 BBR 来评估其对动脉粥样硬化的潜在治疗作用。将人脐静脉内皮细胞(HUVECs)暴露于氧化型低密度脂蛋白(ox-LDL)中,以模拟体外动脉粥样硬化内皮损伤。已经证实 ACSL4 和 BBR 之间存在相互作用,BBR 通过调节 ACSL4 来抑制 erastin 诱导的铁死亡。此外,BBR 被发现抑制脂质沉积、斑块形成和主动脉胶原沉积,从而延缓动脉粥样硬化的进展。它还恢复了体内和体外动脉粥样硬化血管内皮细胞中与铁死亡相关的蛋白的异常表达。总之,BBR 作为 ACSL4 抑制剂,通过抑制内皮细胞中的铁死亡,可改善动脉粥样硬化。这突显了靶向抑制血管内皮 ACSL4 作为治疗动脉粥样硬化策略的潜力,BBR 可能是一种潜在的候选药物。