STING mediates LPS-induced acute lung injury by regulating ferroptosis

The pathogenesis of acute lung injury is not fully understood. Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and ferroptosis have been implicated in various pathological and physiological processes, including acute lung injury (ALI). However, the relationship between STING and ferroptosis in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI is unclear. We found that LPS stimulation activated STING and ferroptosis. Furthermore, STING knockout and ferroptosis inhibitor alleviated lung inflammation and epithelial cell damage. Also, STING knockout reduced inflammation injury and ferroptosis. Notably, the ferroptosis inducer reversed the alleviation of inflammation caused by STING knockout. These results show that STING participates in the inflammation injury of ALI by regulating ferroptosis. Results also showed that p-STAT3 levels increased after STING knockout, suggesting that STING negatively regulates STAT3 activation. Besides, STAT3 inhibitor aggravated ferroptosis after STING knockout, indicating that STING regulates ferroptosis through STAT3 signaling. In conclusion, STING mediates LPS-induced ALI by regulating ferroptosis, indicating that STING and ferroptosis may be new targets for ALI treatment.