Tanshinone IIA attenuates fluoride-induced spinal cord injury by inhibiting ferroptosis and inflammation

Qingfeng Shen; Shibo Ma; Lingbo Li; Yingpeng Xia

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40549

Tanshinone IIA attenuates fluoride-induced spinal cord injury by inhibiting ferroptosis and inflammation

Heliyon. 2024 Nov 28;10(23):e40549. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40549. eCollection 2024 Dec 15.

Authors

Qingfeng Shen¹, Shibo Ma¹, Lingbo Li², Yingpeng Xia¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Spine Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, 300121, China.
² Department of Orthopedics, Jingzhou Central Hospital, Jingzhou, 434020, Hubei Province, China.

Abstract

Excessive fluoride exposure can lead to health problems, such as fluorosis and neurotoxicity. However, effective therapeutic strategies for neurofluorosis remain elusive due to a limited understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Tanshinone IIA on spinal cord injury induced by high-fluoride exposure. To identify dysregulated genes associated with ferroptosis, we conducted an intersection analysis between differentially expressed genes in fluoride-treated HOS cells (GSE70719) and ferroptosis-related genes from the FerrDb database. A rat model of fluoride-induced spinal cord injury was established, revealing evidence of aberrant molecular and structural changes. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that Tanshinone IIA restored the altered expression of nine ferroptosis-related genes, eight fluorosis-related inflammatory indicators, and the observed structural changes. Overall, these findings suggest that Tanshinone IIA therapeutic potential in the treatment of fluoride-induced spinal cord injury by inhibiting ferroptosis and inflammation.

Keywords: Ferroptosis; Fluoride; Spinal cord injury; Tanshinone IIA.