The role of ferroptosis in liver injury after cold ischemia-reperfusion in rats with autologous orthotopic liver transplantation

Using autologous orthotopic liver transplantation (AOLT) model in rats, the effect of lipid reactive oxygen species (L-ROS) inhibitor Ferrostain-1 on ferroptosis signal pathway was observed to determine whether ferroptosis occurred in rat liver injury after cold ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). Thirty-two healthy adult SPF male SD rats, 8 ~ 10 weeks old, weight 240 ~ 260 g, were divided into four groups by the method of random number table (n = 8): sham group, I/R group, I/R + Fer-1 group, I/R + DFO group. In the I/R + Fer-1 group, ferristatin-1(5 mg /kg) was intraperitoneally injected 30 min before surgery; in the I/R + DFO group, DFO 100 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally 1 h before operation and 12 h after operation. Blood samples were taken from the inferior hepatic vena cava 24 h after reperfusion. After anesthesia, the rats were killed and part of their liver tissue was removed. The pathological changes of liver tissue sections were observed under a high-power microscope, and the liver injury was evaluated. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and serum levels of ALT, AST and IL-6 were determined by the ELISA method, Reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), MDA, Fe2 + and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined in the liver tissue. Compared with the sham group, the serum levels of the IL-6,MDA, AST and ALT in I/R group were obviously higher (P < 0.05); The levels of MDA and Fe²⁺ in liver tissue were significantly increased (P < 0.05).The levels of SOD, GSH and GPX4 in liver tissue were decreased. The levels of serum MDA, IL-6, AST, and ALT in the I/R + Fer-1 and I/R + DFO groups were significantly lower than those in the I/R group at 24 h after reperfusion. In the I/R + Fer-1 group, the level of MDA in liver tissue decreased significantly, while the level of SOD, GSH and GPX4 in intestinal tissue increased (P < 0.05). In The I/R + DFO group, the levels of MDA and Fe²⁺ in liver tissue decreased significantly, while the level of SOD in intestinal tissue increased (P < 0.05). Ferroptosis is involved in pathophysiological process of liver injury after cold ischemia-reperfusion in AOLT rats.