Enhancing ferroptosis and inhibiting ABCB1 make the novel aldose reductase inhibitor 5F-E a promising sensitizer in liver cancer

Multidrug resistance (MDR) poses a critical barrier to chemotherapy efficacy. While the promising agents, aldose reductase inhibitors (ARIs), to overcome multidrug resistance (MDR) has been investigated over recent decades, their underlying mechanisms remain unclear and clinically viable candidates are still lacking. In our study, we identified a novel ARI, 5F-E, which exhibited a more potent sensitizing effect on doxorubicin (DOX) resistant HepG2 cells (HepG2/ADR) compared to epalrestat (EPA). Both 5F-E and EPA were observed to decrease intracellular GSH levels while elevating reactive oxygen species (ROS), Fe²⁺ and lipid peroxidation; these effects could be reversed by N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), suggesting that enhanced ferroptosis may be involved in restoring DOX sensitivity. Furthermore, inhibition of AKR1B1 by either compound led to marked reductions in p-STAT3 and SLC7A11 expression, an outcome that was recapitulated by AKR1B1 gene knockdown. The results demonstrate that ARIs exert antitumor effects on HepG2/ADR cells by triggering ferroptosis, a process dependent on AKR1B1/STAT3/SLC7A11 signaling. And, 5F-E, but not EPA, was found to increase intracellular DOX accumulation by inhibiting ABCB1. Our integrated experimental approach reveals that 5F-E exhibits strong chemosensitizing effects against multidrug-resistant liver cancer, highlighting its therapeutic promise.