HO-1 modulates ferroptosis via ROS-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction in cyclophosphamide -induced ovarian granulosa cells
Abnormal granulosa cells (GCs) death contributes to cyclophosphamide (CTX) -induced primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). To investigate the contribution of GCs in POI, gene profiles of GCs exposed to CTX were assessed using RNA-Seq and bioinformatics analysis. The results showed the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are enriched in ferroptosis-related pathway, which is correlated with the upregulated Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and downregulated glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPX4). Using CTX-induced cell culture (COV434 and KGN cells), the levels of iron, reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxide, mitochondrial superoxide, mitochondrial morphology and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were detected by DCFDA, MitoSOX, C11-BODIPY, MitoTracker, Nonylacridine Orange (NAO), JC-1 and transmission electron microscopy respectively. The results showed that iron overload and disrupting ROS, including cytoROS, mtROS and lipROS homeostasis by HO-1 upregultion could induce ferroptosis via mitochondrial dysfunction in CTX-induced GCs. Moreover, HO-1 inhibition could suppress ferroptosis induced GPX4 depletion. This implies the role of ROS in CTX-induced ferroptosis and highlighted the effect of HO-1 modulators of improving CTX-induced ovarian damage, which may provide a theoretical basis for preventing or restoring GC and ovarian function in patients with POI. Overall design: Comparative gene expression profiling analysis of RNA-seq data for normal granulosa cells (GCs) and granulosa cells by using cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced