Calcipotriol inhibits the proliferation of psoriasis HaCaT cells by activating the ferroptosis pathway

Abstract

Calcipotriol is a well-established treatment for psoriasis and other dermatological conditions. This study aimed to investigate whether calcipotriol exerts its therapeutic effects through ferroptosis and to elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms using bioinformatics and cellular experiments. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and their functional enrichment were analyzed in psoriatic skin lesions using bioinformatics. A lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced HaCaT cell model was established to simulate psoriatic inflammation. The effects of calcipotriol at various concentrations and time points on HaCaT cell proliferation, apoptosis, and expression of key markers were assessed. Additionally, ferrostatin-1 (a ferroptosis inhibitor) and RSL3 (a ferroptosis inducer) were used to evaluate ferroptosis-related changes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, glutathione (GSH) content (via ELISA), and protein expression of GPX4 and Ki-67 (via Western blot). Bioinformatics analysis revealed significant differential expression of ferroptosis-related genes, such as GPX4 and SLC7A11, in psoriatic lesions. Calcipotriol treatment inhibited HaCaT cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, elevated ROS levels, and reduced GSH, GPX4, and Ki-67 expression. These effects were reversed by ferrostatin-1, which restored antioxidant defenses and cell viability. Conversely, RSL3 increased ROS levels and partially negated the protective effects of ferrostatin-1. These findings suggest that calcipotriol regulates ferroptosis-related gene expression and inhibits keratinocyte proliferation through induction of oxidative stress and ferroptosis, offering new insights into its mechanism of action in psoriasis treatment.