Mitochondrial Dysfunction-Evoked DHODH Acetylation is Involved in Renal Cell Ferroptosis during Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury

Several studies have observed renal cell Ferroptosis during cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the mechanism is not completely clear. In this study, oxidized arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites are increased in cisplatin-treated HK-2 cells. Targeted metabolomics showed that the end product of pyrimidine biosynthesis is decreased and the initiating substrate of pyrimidine biosynthesis is increased in cisplatin-treated mouse kidneys. Mitochondrial DHODH, a key enzyme for pyrimidine synthesis, and its downstream product CoQH₂, are downregulated. DHODH overexpression attenuated but DHODH silence exacerbated cisplatin-induced CoQH₂ depletion and lipid peroxidation. Mechanistically, renal DHODH acetylation is elevated in cisplatin-exposed mice. Mitochondrial SIRT3 is reduced in cisplatin-treated mouse kidneys and HK-2 cells. Both in vitro SIRT3 overexpression and in vivo NMN supplementation attenuated cisplatin-induced mitochondrial DHODH acetylation and renal cell Ferroptosis. By contrast, SIRT3 knockout aggravated cisplatin-induced mitochondrial DHODH acetylation and renal cell Ferroptosis, which can not be attenuated by NMN. Additional experiments showed that cisplatin caused mitochondrial dysfunction and SIRT3 SUMOylation. Pretreatment with mitochondria-target antioxidant MitoQ alleviated cisplatin-caused mitochondrial dysfunction, SIRT3 SUMOylation, and DHODH acetylation. MitoQ pretreatment protected against cisplatin-caused AKI and renal cell Ferroptosis. Taken together, these results suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction-evoked DHODH acetylation partially contributes to renal cell Ferroptosis during cisplatin-induced AKI.