DUSP1-mediated suppression of p38 MAPK signaling pathway reduces ferroptosis in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Abstract

Ferroptosis constitutes a critical pathological mechanism in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CI/RI), significantly influencing neurological outcomes. While dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) demonstrates neuroprotective effects against CI/RI, its regulatory role in ferroptosis remains to be elucidated. This study systematically investigated the therapeutic potential of DUSP1 through ferroptosis modulation in both in vitro and in vivo models. Using oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R)-treated PC12 cells with either DUSP1 overexpression or knockdown, we comprehensively assessed ferroptosis parameters including cell viability, malondialdehyde content, glutathione levels, intracellular iron concentration, reactive oxygen species accumulation, and expression of key ferroptosis-related proteins. In middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) rat models, pharmacological inhibition of DUSP1 was employed to evaluate its impact on cerebral infarction volume, neurological deficits, histopathological changes, and ferroptosis biomarkers. Mechanistic studies incorporated the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway inhibitor adezmapimod. Our results demonstrated that (1) ferroptosis was significantly induced in both the OGD/R and MCAO/R models, accompanied by upregulated DUSP1 expression; (2) DUSP1 overexpression attenuated ferroptosis and ameliorated CI/RI, whereas genetic knockdown exacerbated these pathological processes; (3) pharmacological inhibition of DUSP1 aggravated cerebral injury and ferroptosis markers in MCAO/R rats; and (4) adezmapimod treatment effectively rescued ferroptosis progression in DUSP1-deficient cells by restoring glutathione peroxidase 4 and ferroportin expression while downregulating transferrin receptor and Ferritin Heavy Chain levels. These findings establish that DUSP1 confers neuroprotection against CI/RI through p38-mediated ferroptosis regulation, suggesting its promise as a novel therapeutic target for ischemic stroke.