Journal of Jilin University(Medicine Edition) ›› 2024, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (6): 1481-1490.doi: 10.13481/j.1671-587X.20240601

• Research in basic medicine •    

Inhibitory effect of diosmetin on ferroptosis of GC-2 spermatocytes induced by RSL3 in mice and its mechanism

Baolian MA,Xiaoxue HU,Xiaowen AI,Yonglan ZHANG()   

  1. Department of Pharmacology,School of pharmacy and Bioengineering,Chongqing University of Technology,Chongqing 400054,China
  • Received:2023-11-28 Online:2024-11-28 Published:2024-12-10
  • Contact: Yonglan ZHANG E-mail:lanzy2015@cqut.edu.cn

Abstract:

Objective To discuss the inhibitory effect of diosmetin (DIO) on the ferroptosis induced by the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) inhibitor (1S,3R)-RSL3 (RSL3) in spermatocytes GC-2 of the mice, and to clarify the mechanism. Methods The GC-2 cells were divided into control group, RSL3 group, RSL3+0.8 nmol·L?1 DIO group, RSL3+4.0 nmol·L?1 DIO group, RSL3+20.0 nmol·L?1 DIO group, and RSL3+ferroptosis inhibitor Ferrostain-1(Fer-1) group (200 nmol·L?1 Fer-1). The cells were treated with 0, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1 000 nmol·L?1 RSL3 solutions, and 0, 0.5, 0.1, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0, and 50.0 μmol·L?1 DIO solutions, respectively. Additionally, the GC-2 cells were divided into blank group, model group, and treatment group. The GC-2 cells in treatment group were further divided into 0.8, 4.0, and 20.0 nmol·L?1 DIO groups, as well as RSL3+0.8 nmol·L?1 DIO group, RSL3+4.0 nmol·L?1 DIO group, and RSL3+20.0 nmol·L?1 DIO group. MTT method was used to detect the survival rates of the GC-2 cells in various groups. The GC-2 cells were treated with 100 nmol·L?1 RSL3 for 0, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h; Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of ferroptosis-related proteins in the GC-2 cells in various groups; kits were used to detect the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), and ratios of glutathione (GSH) to glutathione disulfide (GSSG) in the GC-2 cells in various groups; immunofluorescence method was used to detect the fluorescence intensities of acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) protein in the GC-2 cells in various groups. Results The MTT method results showed that compared with 0 nmol·L-1 RSL3 group, the survival rates of the GC-2 cells in 50, 100, 500, and 1 000 nmol·L-1 RSL3 groups were significantly decreased (P<0.01); compared with 0 μmol·L-1 DIO group, the survival rates of the GC-2 cells in 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0, and 50.0 μmol·L-1 DIO groups were significantly decreased (P<0.01), and 100 nmol·L-1 RSL3 with DIO concentration< 0.1 μmol·L-1 were selected for the subsequent experiments. Compared with blank group, the survival rates of the GC-2 cells in model group was significantly decreased (P<0.01); compared with model group, the survival rates of the GC-2 cells in RSL3 + 20.0 nmol·L-1 DIO group was significantly increased (P<0.01). The Western blotting results showed that compared with 0 h, the expression level of GPX4 protein in the GC-2 cells was significantly decreased after treated with RSL3 for 6 h (P<0.01), and the expression level of HO-1 protein was significantly increased after treated with RSL3 for 12 h (P<0.05); after treated with RSL3 for 12 h, the expression levels of GPX4 and FTH1 proteins were significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01); after treated with RSL3 for 24 h, the expression levels of GPX4 and HO-1 proteins were significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01); after treated with RSL3 for 36 and 48 h, the expression levels of HO-1 protein were significantly decreased (P<0.01). Therefore, 100 nmol·L-1 RSL3 and for 12 h were selected as the experimental condition for the subsequent experiments.Compared with control group, the MDA level in the GC-2 cells in RSL3 group was significantly increased (P<0.01), and the SOD activity and GSH/GSSG ratio were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with RSL3 group, the SOD activities in the cells in RSL3+0.8 nmol·L-1 DIO group, RSL3+4.0 nmol·L-1 DIO group, RSL3+20.0 nmol·L?1 DIO group, and RSL3+Fer-1 group were significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The MDA levels in the cells in RSL3+20.0 nmol·L-1 DIO group and RSL3+Fer-1 group were significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the GSH/GSSG ratio in the cells in RSL3+4.0 nmol·L-1 DIO group, RSL3+20.0 nmol·L-1 DIO group, and RSL3+Fer-1 group were significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01).The immunofluorescence observation results showed that compared with control group, the fluorescence intensity of ACSL4 protein in the GC-2 cells in RSL3 group was significantly increased; compared with RSL3 group, the fluorescence intensities of ACSL4 protein in the cells in RSL3+0.8 nmol·L-1 DIO group, RSL3+4.0 nmol·L-1 DIO group, RSL3+20.0 nmol·L-1 DIO group, and RSL3+Fer-1 group were significantly decreased.The Western blotting results showed that compared with control group, the expression level of HO-1 protein in the cells in RSL3 group was increased (P<0.05), and the expression levels of GPX4 and FTH1 proteins were significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01); compared with RSL3 group, the expression levels of HO-1 protein in the cells in RSL3+0.8 nmol·L-1 DIO group, RSL3+4.0 nmol·L?1 DIO group, RSL3+20.0 nmol·L-1 DIO group, and RSL3+Fer-1 group were significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the expression levels of GPX4 and FTH1 proteins were significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusion DIO can alleviate the RSL3-induced ferroptosis in the GC-2 spermatocytes of the mice, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of HO-1 protein expression and the upregulation of expressions of GPX4 and FTH1 proteins.

Key words: Ferroptosis, Diosmetin, Mouse spermatocyte GC-2, Glutathione peroxidase 4, Ferritin heavy chain 1, Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4

CLC Number: 

  • R966