Kaempferol protects against doxorubicin-induced myocardial damage by inhibiting mitochondrial ROS-dependent ferroptosis

Background Doxorubicin (DOX), a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, is limited in clinical application due to its dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. Therefore, it is crucial to explore alternative therapeutic molecules or drugs for mitigating DOX-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC). In this study aimed to expl...

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Main Authors: Lin Zhang, Xiaorui Liu, Juan Wang, Zimu Li, Siqi Wang, Wen Yang, Yang Hai, Dongling Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Redox Report
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/13510002.2025.2503130
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Summary:Background Doxorubicin (DOX), a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, is limited in clinical application due to its dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. Therefore, it is crucial to explore alternative therapeutic molecules or drugs for mitigating DOX-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC). In this study aimed to explore underlying mechanisms of the cardioprotective effects of Kaempferol (KP) against DIC.Methods H9c2 cell-based DIC model were established to explore the pharmacological mechanism. The levels of mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial ROS, mitochondrial Fe2+ and lipid peroxidation were detected using JC-1, TMRE, Mito-SOX, Mito-Ferro Green and C11-BODIPY 581/591 probes. Furthermore, Western blot analysis measured the expression of key regulatory proteins, and NRF2-targeting siRNA was transfected into H9c2 cells. The nuclear translocation of NRF2 was assessed by immunofluorescence.Results Data revealed that KP mitigated DOX-induced mitochondrial damage and ferroptosis via reducing membrane potential, mitochondrial ROS/Fe²+, and regulating lipid metabolism. Mechanistically, Western blot analysis revealed that KP inhibited DOX-induced ferroptosis by activating NRF2/SLC7A11/GPX4 axis. Moreover, KP promoted the accumulation and nuclear translocation of NRF2 protein.Conclusion These findings demonstrated that KP protected against DOX-induced myocardial damage by inhibiting mitochondrial ROS-dependent ferroptosis. This provides novel insights into KP as a promising drug candidate for cardioprotection.
ISSN:1351-0002
1743-2928