Fibroblast growth factor 21 inhibits ferroptosis following spinal cord injury by regulating heme oxygenase-1

  • Neural Regen Res. 2024 Jul 1;19(7):1568-1574. doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.387979.
Qi Gu  1  2 ,  Weiping Sha  1  2 ,  Qun Huang  1  2 ,  Jin Wang  1  2 ,  Yi Zhu  1  2 ,  Tianli Xu  1  2 ,  Zhenhua Xu  3 ,  Qiancheng Zhu  1  2 ,  Jianfei Ge  1  2 ,  Shoujin Tian  1  2 ,  Xiaolong Lin  1  2
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Zhangjiagang Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
  • 2. Orthopedics Laboratory, The First People's Hospital of Zhangjiagang City, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
  • 3. Department of Anesthesiology, Zhangjiagang Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
PMID: 38051901 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.387979
Abstract

Interfering with the Ferroptosis pathway is a new strategy for the treatment of spinal cord injury. Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 can inhibit Ferroptosis and promote neurofunctional recovery, while heme oxygenase-1 is a regulator of iron and Reactive Oxygen Species homeostasis. The relationship between heme oxygenase-1 and Ferroptosis remains controversial. In this study, we used a spinal cord injury rat model to show that the levels of Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 in spinal cord tissue decreased after spinal cord injury. In addition, there was a significant aggravation of Ferroptosis and a rapid increase in heme oxygenase-1 expression after spinal cord injury. Further, heme oxygenase-1 aggravated Ferroptosis after spinal cord injury, while Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 inhibited Ferroptosis by downregulating heme oxygenase-1. Thus, the activation of Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 may provide a potential treatment for spinal cord injury. These findings could provide a new potential mechanistic explanation for Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 in the treatment of spinal cord injury.

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