Nuciferine inhibits pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling by activating the SENP1-ACSL4-ferroptosis axis.

introductionPressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling and heart failure have received considerable attention owing to their high morbidity and death rates. Nuciferine (NF), an aporphine alkaloid extracted from lotus leaves, has antioxidant and lipid-lowering properties, but its specific cardiovascular effects and mechanisms remain unknown.

objectivesIn order to clarify the role and specific mechanism of NF in pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling and heart failure.

methodsThrough the construction of pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling models in vivo and in vitro, we used a series of molecular biology and pathology experimental methods to explore the therapeutic effects of NF on cardiac remodeling and clarified its putative molecular pathways.

resultsOur experimental results showed that NF improved ferroptosis, oxidative stress, inflammatory activation and mitochondrial damage in TAC mice model and NRCMs model stimulated by Erastin. Mechanistically, NF inhibits cardiomyocyte ferroptosis by regulating iron metabolism and ACSL4-mediated lipid peroxidation. Moreover, subsequent findings revealed that NF promoted ACSL4 deSUMOylation by targeting SENP1, resulting in elevated ubiquitin-proteasome degradation of ACSL4, alleviating cardiomyocyte ferroptosis and relieving pressure overload-induced myocardial dysfunction and cardiac remodeling.

conclusionThis study is the first to clarify that NF inhibits cardiomyocyte ferroptosis via the SENP1-ACSL4 axis to generate cardiovascular beneficial effects. More significantly, our work demonstrated that NF is an effective medicine with clinical translational promise, and that targeting ACSL4 and SENP1 can provide novel therapies for patients with cardiac remodeling and heart failure.