Ferrostatin-1 Prevents Salivary Gland Dysfunction in an Ovariectomized Rat Model by Suppressing Mitophagy-Driven Ferroptosis.

ABSTRACT: Salivary gland dysfunction is a common but underexplored complication of menopause that contributes to oral dryness, dysphagia, and increased risk of infection. Although ferroptosis, a form of regulated necrotic cell death driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, has recently been implicated in postmenopausal tissue degeneration, its regulatory mechanisms in salivary glands remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the roles of mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy in driving ferroptosis-induced salivary gland injury in an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model of estrogen deficiency. OVX rats exhibited elevated markers of oxidative stress, lipid accumulation, and iron overload, and suppression of GPX4 activity in the salivary glands, consistent with ferroptotic activation. These change

SUBMITTER: Park GC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12466376 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature