NRF2 signaling is a crucial antioxidant defense mechanism against ferroptosis in tumors, and targeting NRF2 is essential for tumor therapy. However, the effectiveness of NRF2 inhibitors remains unexplored. The active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine serve as important sources of NRF2 inhibitors. In this study, we established an intracranial glioblastoma (GBM) orthotopic model and observed the effects of procyanidin B1 on tumor growth and ferroptosis. Using protein-small-molecule docking, z-stack assay of laser confocal imaging, surface plasmon resonance assay, immunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry, and western blotting, we detected the binding between procyanidin B1 and NRF2 and the effect of PSMC3 on the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of NRF2 in GBM cells. Our results showed that procyanidin B1 acted as a novel NRF2 inhibitor to suppress GBM cell proliferation and prolonged the survival of GBM-bearing mice; it also mediated the interaction between PSMC3 and NRF2 to promote ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation of NRF2, which induced ferroptosis in GBM cells. In addition, we found that procyanidin B1 enhanced H₂O₂ accumulation by downregulating NRF2 during ferroptosis in GBM cells. The botanical agent procyanidin B1 induced ferroptosis and exerted anti-tumor effects through PSMC3-mediated ubiquitin-dependent degradation of NRF2 proteins, providing a potential drug candidate for adjuvant therapy in patients with GBM.
Keywords: NRF2; PSMC3; ferroptosis; procyanidin B1; ubiquitination.
© 2024 The Author(s). Phytotherapy Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.