3.8 Leonurine suppresses lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis in
CI-AKI
Next, we assessed the effects of leonurine on cisplatin-induced lipid
peroxidation and ferroptosis in vivo. Compared to the control, cisplatin
significantly increased the MDA content and decreased the GSH and SOD
contents in the kidney, while leonurine obviously reversed the above
changes (Fig. 8A-C). In addition, the protein levels of GPX4 and xCT
were significantly downregulated by cisplatin treatment but
dose-dependently restored by leonurine treatment. Moreover, the protein
levels of Nrf2 and its regulated downstream antioxidases NQO1 and HO-1
were activated by leonurine treatment (Fig. 8D-F). Similar to the
protein levels, the mRNA levels of GPX4 and xCT were decreased in the
renal tissues of the model group. Interestingly, leonurine treatment
significantly increased the transcript levels of GPX4 and xCT (Fig.
8G-H). Moreover, electron microscopic observations revealed
mitochondrial damage in renal tissue cells of the model group,
manifested as mitochondrial rupture and disappearance of mitochondrial
cristae, and leonurine treatment significantly alleviated this damage
(Fig. 8I).