Frontiers in Pharmacology (Sep 2023)

Glycyrrhizin arginine salt protects against cisplation-induced acute liver injury by repressing BECN1-mediated ferroptosis

  • Jun Guo,
  • Jiameng Yin,
  • Jiameng Yin,
  • Pu Liu,
  • Xin Zhang,
  • Jie Wei,
  • Mingjun Wang,
  • Yanxia Xiao,
  • Yongzhan Zhen,
  • Yajun Lin,
  • Jian Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1219486
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

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The study aimed to investigate the protective effects and biological mechanisms of glycyrrhizin arginine salt (Gly-Arg) against cisplatin (Cis)-induced liver injury. Our data showed that Gly-Arg improved Cis-induced liver injury. Further study showed that BECN1 (beclin1) and LC3-II/LC3-I protein expression was significantly increased in primary hepatocytes and mouse liver tissues after Cis treatment, but Gly-Arg reduced the protein levels of BECN1 and LC3-II/LC3-I in primary hepatocytes and mouse liver tissues. Also, Gly-Arg improved indicators related to Cis-induced ferroptosis. Furthermore, Cis increased colocalization of lysosomal membrane-associated protein 1A (LAMP1) with ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) in primary mouse hepatocytes, while Gly-Arg intervention attenuated this colocalization in primary hepatocytes. More improtantly, Cis enhanced the formation of the BECN1-xCT complex, thus inhibiting solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11, xCT) and glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPX4) activity. In contrast, Gly-Arg intervention disrupted the formation of this complex. However, Gly-Arg alleviated Cis-induced liver injury in mice by preventing autophagic death and ferroptosis through the inhibition of BECN1-xCT complex formation.

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