O-sialoglycoprotein Endopeptidase (OSGEP) Suppresses Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury-Induced Ferroptosis Through Modulating the MEK/ERK Signaling Pathway

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) was widely accepted as a critical complication of liver resection and transplantation. A growing body of evidence suggested that O-sialoglycoprotein endopeptidase (OSGEP) was involved in cell proliferation and mitochondrial metabolism. However, whether OSGEP could mediate the pathogenesis of HIRI has still remained unclarified. This study investigated whether OSGEP could be protective against HIRI and elucidated the potential mechanisms. The OSGEP expression level was detected in cases undergoing ischemia-related hepatectomy and a stable oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) condition in hepG2 cells. Additionally, it was attempted to establish a mouse model of HIRI, thus, the function and mechanism of OSGEP could be analyzed. At one day after hepatectomy, the negative association of OSGEP expression level with the elevated serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was noted. Moreover, it was attempted to carry out gain- and loss-of-function analyses of OSGEP in hepG2 cells to reveal its influences on OGD/R-induced injury and relevant signaling pathways. The findings suggested that OSGEP overexpression significantly protected hepG2 cells against ferroptotic cell death, while OSGEP consumption had opposite effects. Consistent with in vitro studies, OSGEP deficiency exacerbated liver functions and ferroptotic cell death in a mouse model of HIRI. The results also revealed that OSGEP mediated the progression of HIRI by regulating the MEK/ERK signaling pathway. Rescue experiments indicated that ERK1/2 knockdown or overexpression reversed the effects of OSGEP overexpression or knockdown on hepG2 cells under OGD/R condition. Taken together, the findings demonstrated that OSGEP could contribute to alleviate HIRI by mediating the MEK-ERK signaling pathway, which may serve as a potential prognostic marker and a therapeutic target for HIRI.