Skip to main content

REVIEW article

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Molecular and Cellular Pathology
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1482838

Insights into the pathogenesis of gestational and hepatic diseases: The impact of ferroptosis

Provisionally accepted
Yilan You Yilan You 1*Zhiwen Qian Zhiwen Qian 1*Ying Jiang Ying Jiang 2*Lingyan Chen Lingyan Chen 1*Danping Wu Danping Wu 2*Lu Liu Lu Liu 2*Feng Zhang Feng Zhang 1*Xin Ning Xin Ning 2*Yan Zhang Yan Zhang 1,2*Jianping Xiao Jianping Xiao 1,2*
  • 1 Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
  • 2 Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Women’s Hospital of Jiangnan University, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Ferroptosis, a distinct form of non-apoptotic cell death characterized by iron dependency and lipid peroxidation, is increasingly linked to various pathological conditions in pregnancy and liver diseases. It plays a critical role throughout pregnancy, influencing processes such as embryogenesis, implantation, and the maintenance of gestation. A growing body of evidence indicates that disruptions in these processes can precipitate pregnancy-related disorders, including pre-eclampsia (PE), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). Notably, while ICP is primarily associated with elevated maternal serum bile acid levels, its precise etiology remains elusive. Oxidative stress induced by bile acid accumulation is believed to be a significant factor in ICP pathogenesis. Similarly, the liver's susceptibility to oxidative damage underscores the importance of lipid metabolism dysregulation and impaired iron homeostasis in the progression of liver diseases such as alcoholic liver disease (ALD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), cholestatic liver injury, autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), acute liver injury, viral hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This review discusses the shared signaling mechanisms of ferroptosis in gestational and hepatic diseases, and explores recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of ferroptosis and its potential role in the pathogenesis of gestational and hepatic disorders, with the aim of identifying viable therapeutic targets.

    Keywords: ferroptosis, Pregnancy, Placenta, Liver Diseases, Pathogenesis

    Received: 20 Aug 2024; Accepted: 30 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 You, Qian, Jiang, Chen, Wu, Liu, Zhang, Ning, Zhang and Xiao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yilan You, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
    Zhiwen Qian, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
    Ying Jiang, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Women’s Hospital of Jiangnan University, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
    Lingyan Chen, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
    Danping Wu, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Women’s Hospital of Jiangnan University, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
    Lu Liu, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Women’s Hospital of Jiangnan University, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
    Feng Zhang, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
    Xin Ning, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Women’s Hospital of Jiangnan University, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
    Yan Zhang, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
    Jianping Xiao, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.