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OTULIN orchestrates NCOA4-FTH1 complex to alleviate APAP-induced hepatocyte Ferroptosis
Liyuan Gao1, Xiaoyan Chang1, Yi Han1
1Zhangjiagang TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Suzhou, China.
International Immunopharmacology
|March 30, 2025
Summary
Acetaminophen overdose causes liver injury by promoting ferroptosis, a cell death pathway. Upregulating OTULIN protects liver cells from this damage, offering a potential therapy for acetaminophen-induced liver injury.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Cell Death Mechanisms
- Drug-Induced Liver Injury
Background:
- Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is a primary cause of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and acute liver failure (ALF).
- Hepatocyte death is central to APAP toxicity, but mechanisms remain unclear.
- Ferroptosis, a cell death form involving iron and glutathione, shares traits with APAP hepatotoxicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate ferroptosis's role in APAP-induced liver injury.
- Identify therapeutic targets for APAP-induced DILI.
Main Methods:
- Administered APAP to C57BL/6 mice for in vivo evaluation of ferroptosis and liver injury.
- Utilized molecular techniques and stable cell lines for in vitro mechanistic studies.
Main Results:
- APAP disrupts iron homeostasis, inducing hepatocyte ferroptosis.
- OTULIN deubiquitinase regulates NCOA4 ubiquitination, causing NCOA4 depletion and FTH1 accumulation.
- This modulation enhances hepatocyte resistance to APAP-induced damage.
Conclusions:
- OTULIN protects against APAP-induced hepatocyte ferroptosis via the NCOA4-FTH1 complex.
- Targeted OTULIN upregulation in hepatocytes shows therapeutic potential for APAP-DILI.
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