Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors ameliorate glutathione cysteine ligase modifier-mediated oxidative stress and subsequent ferroptosis in proximal tubules of diabetic kidney disease

Objectives Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major cause of end-stage kidney disease. The precise molecular mechanism of ferroptosis, an iron-dependent and non-apoptotic form of regulated cell death, remains poorly understood in DKD, as does the impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yi-Chun Tsai, Jiun-Chi Huang, Ping-Shaou Yu, Mei-Chuan Kuo, Ling-Yu Wu, Wei-An Chang, Shang-Jyh Hwang, Ya-Ling Hsu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Redox Report
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/13510002.2025.2528334
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849245881269747712
author Yi-Chun Tsai
Jiun-Chi Huang
Ping-Shaou Yu
Mei-Chuan Kuo
Ling-Yu Wu
Wei-An Chang
Shang-Jyh Hwang
Ya-Ling Hsu
author_facet Yi-Chun Tsai
Jiun-Chi Huang
Ping-Shaou Yu
Mei-Chuan Kuo
Ling-Yu Wu
Wei-An Chang
Shang-Jyh Hwang
Ya-Ling Hsu
author_sort Yi-Chun Tsai
collection DOAJ
description Objectives Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major cause of end-stage kidney disease. The precise molecular mechanism of ferroptosis, an iron-dependent and non-apoptotic form of regulated cell death, remains poorly understood in DKD, as does the impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on ferroptosis-mediated DKD.Methods This study used bulk RNA sequencing, in vitro and in vivo models, and human kidney samples to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in oxidative stress and ferroptosis in the proximal tubule (PT) of DKD.Results High glucose (HG) induced features of ferroptosis in HK-2 cells. Transcriptome analysis of primary PT cells from diabetic patients indicated that glutathione cysteine ligase modifier (GCLM) subunit is involved in ferroptosis. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that db/db mice and diabetic patients had lower glutathione peroxidase 4 and GCLM expression in the PT. Suppression of GCLM enhanced ferroptosis, whereas GCLM overexpression mitigated HG-induced ferroptosis in HK-2 cells. Antioxidants reduced oxidative stress and ferroptosis in both in vitro and in vivo models of DKD. Furthermore, SGLT2i attenuated PT ferroptosis in these models and improved DKD by increasing GCLM expression.Conclusion SGLT2i reduced ferroptosis in PT by boosting GCLM expression, thereby slowing DKD progression, revealing that GCLM has the potential against DKD.
format Article
id doaj-art-c6e545feed804442b4b09cb760dba54c
institution Kabale University
issn 1351-0002
1743-2928
language English
publishDate 2025-12-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series Redox Report
spelling doaj-art-c6e545feed804442b4b09cb760dba54c2025-08-20T03:58:40ZengTaylor & Francis GroupRedox Report1351-00021743-29282025-12-0130110.1080/13510002.2025.2528334Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors ameliorate glutathione cysteine ligase modifier-mediated oxidative stress and subsequent ferroptosis in proximal tubules of diabetic kidney diseaseYi-Chun Tsai0Jiun-Chi Huang1Ping-Shaou Yu2Mei-Chuan Kuo3Ling-Yu Wu4Wei-An Chang5Shang-Jyh Hwang6Ya-Ling Hsu7School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, TaiwanSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, TaiwanDivision of Nephrology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, TaiwanDivision of Nephrology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, TaiwanGraduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, TaiwanDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, TaiwanDivision of Nephrology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, TaiwanDrug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, TaiwanObjectives Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major cause of end-stage kidney disease. The precise molecular mechanism of ferroptosis, an iron-dependent and non-apoptotic form of regulated cell death, remains poorly understood in DKD, as does the impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on ferroptosis-mediated DKD.Methods This study used bulk RNA sequencing, in vitro and in vivo models, and human kidney samples to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in oxidative stress and ferroptosis in the proximal tubule (PT) of DKD.Results High glucose (HG) induced features of ferroptosis in HK-2 cells. Transcriptome analysis of primary PT cells from diabetic patients indicated that glutathione cysteine ligase modifier (GCLM) subunit is involved in ferroptosis. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that db/db mice and diabetic patients had lower glutathione peroxidase 4 and GCLM expression in the PT. Suppression of GCLM enhanced ferroptosis, whereas GCLM overexpression mitigated HG-induced ferroptosis in HK-2 cells. Antioxidants reduced oxidative stress and ferroptosis in both in vitro and in vivo models of DKD. Furthermore, SGLT2i attenuated PT ferroptosis in these models and improved DKD by increasing GCLM expression.Conclusion SGLT2i reduced ferroptosis in PT by boosting GCLM expression, thereby slowing DKD progression, revealing that GCLM has the potential against DKD.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/13510002.2025.2528334Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitorproximal tubuleoxidative stressferroptosisglutathione cysteine ligase modifierdiabetic kidney disease
spellingShingle Yi-Chun Tsai
Jiun-Chi Huang
Ping-Shaou Yu
Mei-Chuan Kuo
Ling-Yu Wu
Wei-An Chang
Shang-Jyh Hwang
Ya-Ling Hsu
Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors ameliorate glutathione cysteine ligase modifier-mediated oxidative stress and subsequent ferroptosis in proximal tubules of diabetic kidney disease
Redox Report
Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor
proximal tubule
oxidative stress
ferroptosis
glutathione cysteine ligase modifier
diabetic kidney disease
title Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors ameliorate glutathione cysteine ligase modifier-mediated oxidative stress and subsequent ferroptosis in proximal tubules of diabetic kidney disease
title_full Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors ameliorate glutathione cysteine ligase modifier-mediated oxidative stress and subsequent ferroptosis in proximal tubules of diabetic kidney disease
title_fullStr Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors ameliorate glutathione cysteine ligase modifier-mediated oxidative stress and subsequent ferroptosis in proximal tubules of diabetic kidney disease
title_full_unstemmed Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors ameliorate glutathione cysteine ligase modifier-mediated oxidative stress and subsequent ferroptosis in proximal tubules of diabetic kidney disease
title_short Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors ameliorate glutathione cysteine ligase modifier-mediated oxidative stress and subsequent ferroptosis in proximal tubules of diabetic kidney disease
title_sort sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors ameliorate glutathione cysteine ligase modifier mediated oxidative stress and subsequent ferroptosis in proximal tubules of diabetic kidney disease
topic Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor
proximal tubule
oxidative stress
ferroptosis
glutathione cysteine ligase modifier
diabetic kidney disease
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/13510002.2025.2528334
work_keys_str_mv AT yichuntsai sodiumglucosecotransporter2inhibitorsameliorateglutathionecysteineligasemodifiermediatedoxidativestressandsubsequentferroptosisinproximaltubulesofdiabetickidneydisease
AT jiunchihuang sodiumglucosecotransporter2inhibitorsameliorateglutathionecysteineligasemodifiermediatedoxidativestressandsubsequentferroptosisinproximaltubulesofdiabetickidneydisease
AT pingshaouyu sodiumglucosecotransporter2inhibitorsameliorateglutathionecysteineligasemodifiermediatedoxidativestressandsubsequentferroptosisinproximaltubulesofdiabetickidneydisease
AT meichuankuo sodiumglucosecotransporter2inhibitorsameliorateglutathionecysteineligasemodifiermediatedoxidativestressandsubsequentferroptosisinproximaltubulesofdiabetickidneydisease
AT lingyuwu sodiumglucosecotransporter2inhibitorsameliorateglutathionecysteineligasemodifiermediatedoxidativestressandsubsequentferroptosisinproximaltubulesofdiabetickidneydisease
AT weianchang sodiumglucosecotransporter2inhibitorsameliorateglutathionecysteineligasemodifiermediatedoxidativestressandsubsequentferroptosisinproximaltubulesofdiabetickidneydisease
AT shangjyhhwang sodiumglucosecotransporter2inhibitorsameliorateglutathionecysteineligasemodifiermediatedoxidativestressandsubsequentferroptosisinproximaltubulesofdiabetickidneydisease
AT yalinghsu sodiumglucosecotransporter2inhibitorsameliorateglutathionecysteineligasemodifiermediatedoxidativestressandsubsequentferroptosisinproximaltubulesofdiabetickidneydisease