Redox Rep. 2026 Dec;31(1):2624946. doi: 10.1080/13510002.2026.2624946. Epub 2026 Feb 6.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Reperfusion, an essential therapeutic strategy for salvaging ischemic myocardium in ischemic heart disease, paradoxically exacerbates myocardial injury. Ferroptosis is a pivotal mechanism underlying myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). Nrf2 can regulate ferroptosis, which could undergo SUMOylation at lysine 110 (K110) and was subsequently de-SUMOylated by Senp1. This study aimed to determine whether Nrf2 de-SUMOylation could mitigate MIRI by inhibiting myocardial ferroptosis.
METHODS: Nrf2 K110R mice, mimicking Nrf2 de-SUMOylation, were generated. Mice cardiac morphology and function were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE) and echocardiography under normal and MIRI conditions. Ferroptosis inhibitor liproxstatin-1 (Lip-1) was used to demonstrate ferroptosis participation in Nrf2 de-SUMOylation regulated MIRI. In vitro, SUMO1/sentrin-specific protease 1 Senp1 KO H9C2 cells were subjected to RSL3-induced ferroptosis to explore underlying mechanism.
RESULTS: Nrf2 K110R mice showed normal cardiac morphology and function at baseline. However, de-SUMOylation of Nrf2 alleviated myocardial ferroptosis, resulting in a reduction of MIRI severity in MIRI mice. The administration of Lip-1 attenuated the differences in MIRI between Nrf2 wild-type and K110R mice. Mechanistically, Nrf2 de-SUMOylation was associated with a reduction in Transferrin receptor (Tfr) expression level, thereby mitigating ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes.
CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the role of Nrf2 SUMOylation in promoting ferroptosis during MIRI and identified Nrf2 de-SUMOylation as a potential therapeutic target for MIRI.
PMID:41645807 | DOI:10.1080/13510002.2026.2624946