Salvianolic Acid A Activates Nrf2-Related Signaling Pathways to Inhibit Ferroptosis to Improve Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic stroke is a serious disease that frequently occurs in the elderly and is characterized by a complex pathophysiology and a limited number of effective therapeutic agents. Salvianolic acid A (SAL-A) is a natural product derived from the rhizome of <i>Salvia miltiorrhiza</i>, which...

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Main Authors: Yu-Fu Shang, Wan-Di Feng, Dong-Ni Liu, Wen-Fang Zhang, Shuang Xu, Dan-Hong Feng, Guan-Hua Du, Yue-Hua Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-08-01
Series:Molecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/15/3266
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author Yu-Fu Shang
Wan-Di Feng
Dong-Ni Liu
Wen-Fang Zhang
Shuang Xu
Dan-Hong Feng
Guan-Hua Du
Yue-Hua Wang
author_facet Yu-Fu Shang
Wan-Di Feng
Dong-Ni Liu
Wen-Fang Zhang
Shuang Xu
Dan-Hong Feng
Guan-Hua Du
Yue-Hua Wang
author_sort Yu-Fu Shang
collection DOAJ
description Ischemic stroke is a serious disease that frequently occurs in the elderly and is characterized by a complex pathophysiology and a limited number of effective therapeutic agents. Salvianolic acid A (SAL-A) is a natural product derived from the rhizome of <i>Salvia miltiorrhiza</i>, which possesses diverse pharmacological activities. This study aims to investigate the effect and mechanisms of SAL-A in inhibiting ferroptosis to improve ischemic stroke. Brain injury, oxidative stress and ferroptosis-related analysis were performed to evaluate the effect of SAL-A on ischemic stroke in photochemical induction of stroke (PTS) in mice. Lipid peroxidation levels, antioxidant protein levels, tissue iron content, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and mitochondrial morphology changes were detected to explore its mechanism. SAL-A significantly attenuated brain injury, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and long-chain acyl-CoA synthase 4 (ACSL4) levels. In addition, SAL-A also amplified the antioxidative properties of glutathione (GSH) when under glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and the reduction in ferrous ion levels. In vitro, brain microvascular endothelial cells (b.End.3) exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) were used to investigate whether the anti-stroke mechanism of SAL-A is related to Nrf2. Following OGD/R, ML385 (Nrf2 inhibitor) prevents SAL-A from inhibiting oxidative stress, ferroptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction in b.End.3 cells. In conclusion, SAL-A inhibits ferroptosis to ameliorate ischemic brain injury, and this effect is mediated through Nrf2.
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spelling doaj-art-08fbd9d7b06b489ba4e01cd44a1d91df2025-08-20T03:36:32ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-08-013015326610.3390/molecules30153266Salvianolic Acid A Activates Nrf2-Related Signaling Pathways to Inhibit Ferroptosis to Improve Ischemic StrokeYu-Fu Shang0Wan-Di Feng1Dong-Ni Liu2Wen-Fang Zhang3Shuang Xu4Dan-Hong Feng5Guan-Hua Du6Yue-Hua Wang7Beijing Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Discovery and Polymorphic Druggability Research for Cerebrovascular Diseases, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Discovery and Polymorphic Druggability Research for Cerebrovascular Diseases, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Discovery and Polymorphic Druggability Research for Cerebrovascular Diseases, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Discovery and Polymorphic Druggability Research for Cerebrovascular Diseases, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Discovery and Polymorphic Druggability Research for Cerebrovascular Diseases, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Discovery and Polymorphic Druggability Research for Cerebrovascular Diseases, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Discovery and Polymorphic Druggability Research for Cerebrovascular Diseases, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Discovery and Polymorphic Druggability Research for Cerebrovascular Diseases, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, ChinaIschemic stroke is a serious disease that frequently occurs in the elderly and is characterized by a complex pathophysiology and a limited number of effective therapeutic agents. Salvianolic acid A (SAL-A) is a natural product derived from the rhizome of <i>Salvia miltiorrhiza</i>, which possesses diverse pharmacological activities. This study aims to investigate the effect and mechanisms of SAL-A in inhibiting ferroptosis to improve ischemic stroke. Brain injury, oxidative stress and ferroptosis-related analysis were performed to evaluate the effect of SAL-A on ischemic stroke in photochemical induction of stroke (PTS) in mice. Lipid peroxidation levels, antioxidant protein levels, tissue iron content, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and mitochondrial morphology changes were detected to explore its mechanism. SAL-A significantly attenuated brain injury, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and long-chain acyl-CoA synthase 4 (ACSL4) levels. In addition, SAL-A also amplified the antioxidative properties of glutathione (GSH) when under glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and the reduction in ferrous ion levels. In vitro, brain microvascular endothelial cells (b.End.3) exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) were used to investigate whether the anti-stroke mechanism of SAL-A is related to Nrf2. Following OGD/R, ML385 (Nrf2 inhibitor) prevents SAL-A from inhibiting oxidative stress, ferroptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction in b.End.3 cells. In conclusion, SAL-A inhibits ferroptosis to ameliorate ischemic brain injury, and this effect is mediated through Nrf2.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/15/3266ischemic strokeferroptosissalvianolic acid Anuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2lipid peroxidation
spellingShingle Yu-Fu Shang
Wan-Di Feng
Dong-Ni Liu
Wen-Fang Zhang
Shuang Xu
Dan-Hong Feng
Guan-Hua Du
Yue-Hua Wang
Salvianolic Acid A Activates Nrf2-Related Signaling Pathways to Inhibit Ferroptosis to Improve Ischemic Stroke
Molecules
ischemic stroke
ferroptosis
salvianolic acid A
nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2
lipid peroxidation
title Salvianolic Acid A Activates Nrf2-Related Signaling Pathways to Inhibit Ferroptosis to Improve Ischemic Stroke
title_full Salvianolic Acid A Activates Nrf2-Related Signaling Pathways to Inhibit Ferroptosis to Improve Ischemic Stroke
title_fullStr Salvianolic Acid A Activates Nrf2-Related Signaling Pathways to Inhibit Ferroptosis to Improve Ischemic Stroke
title_full_unstemmed Salvianolic Acid A Activates Nrf2-Related Signaling Pathways to Inhibit Ferroptosis to Improve Ischemic Stroke
title_short Salvianolic Acid A Activates Nrf2-Related Signaling Pathways to Inhibit Ferroptosis to Improve Ischemic Stroke
title_sort salvianolic acid a activates nrf2 related signaling pathways to inhibit ferroptosis to improve ischemic stroke
topic ischemic stroke
ferroptosis
salvianolic acid A
nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2
lipid peroxidation
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/15/3266
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