TUG1 protects against ferroptosis of hepatic stellate cells by upregulating PDK4-mediated glycolysis

The induction of ferroptosis in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) has shown promise in reversing liver fibrosis. And ferroptosis has been confirmed to be associated with glycolysis. The objective of this study is to determine whether ferroptosis inhibition in HSCs, induced by elevation of recombinant pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isozyme 4 (PDK4)-mediated glycolysis, could mediate the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis was induced using CCl₄, the level of which was assessed through histochemical staining. Lentivirus was used to modulate the expression of specific genes. And underlying mechanisms were explored using primary HSCs extracted from normal mice. The results confirmed that Taurine up-regulated gene 1 (TUG1) expression was upregulated in liver fibrotic tissues and HSCs, showing a positive correlation with fibrosis. In addition, TUG1 attenuated ferroptosis in HSCs by promoting PDK4-mediated glycolysis, thereby promoting the progression of liver fibrosis. Moreover, TUG1 was observed to impact HSCs activation, exacerbating liver fibrosis to some extent. In conclusion, our study revealed that TUG1 expression was elevated in mouse models of liver fibrosis and activated HSCs, which inhibited ferroptosis in HSCs through PDK4-mediated glycolysis. This finding may open up a new therapeutic strategy for liver fibrosis.