Experimental findings reveal ADSC-exo reduces ferroptosis in endothelial cells and liver injury, suggesting therapeutic potential in sepsis-related conditions.
Background Adipose-derived stem cells exosome (ADSC-exo) has been reported to be effective in alleviating organ dysfunction in sepsis, including acute liver injury (ALI). Whether ADSC-exo protects the liver via suppression of vascular endothelial cell (VEC) ferroptosis is unclear. Methods We evaluated the viability and migration of VECs and their ferroptosis-related indices. To further elucidate this mechanism, we examined the Nrf2/GPX4 pathway. Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was performed to establish a sepsis model to observe the protective effect of ADSC-exo. The death rate and liver tissue injury were observed. We also evaluated inflammation- and ferroptosis-related indices. Next, we examined the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) pathway-related molecules to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Results ADSC-exo reduced cell injury and ferroptosis in VECs. ADSC-exo increased the expression and nuclear translocation of Nrf2. In the CLP-induced sepsis model, ADSC-exo relieved liver injury and reduced the death rate. Further observations showed that ADSC-exo significantly alleviated oxidative stress injury and ferroptosis in liver tissue, while remarkably increasing the expression of Nrf2 and GPX4. Conclusion These findings demonstrate the remarkable ability of ADSC-exo to alleviate sepsis-induced ALI by mitigating endothelial cell ferroptosis, providing evidence for the potential clinical application of ADSC-exo in ALI therapy.
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Wang et al. (2025) studied this question.
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