Phylloquinone Attenuates Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation-induced Neuronal Injury by Inhibiting Ferroptosis via the xCT/GPX4 Pathway

Neuronal cell damage resulting from ischemic and hypoxic injury is a major pathological event in stroke, with Ferroptosis increasingly recognized as a contributing mechanism. In this study, we observed that oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) triggered Ferroptosis in neuronal cells. By screening of naphthoquinone compounds intervening oxidative stress, we have identified phylloquinone (VK1, also known as vitamin K1) as a potent inhibitor of Ferroptosis with significant neuroprotective effects. Phylloquinone also alleviated OGD-induced cellular senescence. Mechanistic investigation revealed that Kruppel-like factor 2 (Klf2) is a potential target of phylloquinone and participates in its neuroprotective effects. These findings indicate that phylloquinone protects neurons from OGD-induced injury by inhibiting Ferroptosis through the xCT/GPX4 pathway, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic candidate for ischemic neuronal damage.