Inhibition of ferroptosis in inflammatory macrophages alleviates intestinal injury in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis.

ABSTRACT: Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe gut disease primarily affecting preterm infants, driven significantly by inflammatory macrophages. This study combined bioinformatics (single-cell/tissue RNA sequencing) and experiments to identify key macrophage changes in NEC. Analysis revealed substantial macrophage infiltration in NEC tissues. These macrophages were highly inflammatory and strongly linked to cell death pathways (ferroptosis, pyroptosis, apoptosis), with scores significantly higher than controls and correlating with inflammation. In vitro, LPS-stimulated inflammatory macrophages showed elevated ferroptosis, evidenced by cell rupture, death, increased ACSL4, decreased GPX4, iron overload, lipid peroxidation, and heightened cytokine release. Critically, the ferroptosis

SUBMITTER: Shen L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12325787 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature