The outbreak and worldwide spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been a threat to global public health. SARS-CoV-2 infection not only impacts the respiratory system but also causes hepatic injury. Ferroptosis, a distinct iron-dependent form of non-apoptotic cell death, has been investigated in various pathological conditions, such as cancer, ischemia/reperfusion injury, and liver diseases. However, whether ferroptosis takes part in the pathophysiological process of COVID-19-related liver injury has not been evaluated yet. This review highlights the pathological changes in COVID-19-related liver injury and presents ferroptosis as a potential mechanism in the pathological process. Ferroptosis, as a therapeutic target for COVID-19-related liver injury, is also discussed. Discoveries in these areas will improve our understanding of strategies to prevent and treat hepatic injuries caused by COVID-19.
(1) Background: Ferroptosis is a newly coined form of programmed cell death marked by lethal accumulation of lipid peroxidation and ferrous iron overload. A few studies on the specific mechanism of ferroptosis in the genesis and development of psoriasis are available. (2) Methods: Levels of lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ferrous iron were measured by flow cytometry. Ultrastructure analysis was performed by transmission electron microscopy. Imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like mice were treated with a ferroptosis inducer. The expressions of mRNA of genes were measured by qRT-PCR. HaCaT cells were used to explore the function of Cyb561d2. (3) Results: In this work, we observed that levels of lipid ROS and ferrous iron in the epidermis of psoriasis vulgaris (PV) patients were increased. The existence of ferroptosis activation in the epidermis of individuals with PV was confirmed by transmission electron microscope both in patients with PV and psoriasis-like mice models. Intradermal injection of the ferroptosis inducer RSL3 in psoriasis-like mice significantly promoted and aggravated the development of psoriasis-like dermatitis, and the level of serum transferrin was also increased in PV samples. Moreover, abnormal expression of some genes related to iron metabolism was also proved in the epidermis of PV cases, among which Cyb561d2 was shown to promote ferrous iron overload and lipid peroxidation accumulation in HaCaT cells. (4) Conclusions: In summary, our study suggested that ferroptosis activation owing to iron overload may be a novel mechanism underlying the formation of skin lesions in individuals with PV.
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