Androgen receptor deficiency-induced TUG1 in suppressing ferroptosis to promote benign prostatic hyperplasia through the miR-188-3p/GPX4 signal pathway.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), characterized by the non-malignant enlargement of the prostate, exhibits a pronounced association with inflammation resulting from androgen receptor (AR) deficiency. Ferroptosis, a cell death mechanism triggered by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and closely linked to inflammation, has yet to be fully understood in the context of BPH. Using RNA sequencing, we observed a significant elevation of taurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in BPH tissues compared to normal prostate tissue. High levels of TUG1 exhibited a discernible correlation with both prostate volume and the extent of inflammatory infiltration in BPH patients. The suppression of TUG1 not only led to a reduction in prostate size but also ameliorated AR-deficiency-induced prostatic hyperplasia. Mechanistically, a decrease in AR in prostate luminal cells prompted macrophage aggregation and the release of IL-1β, subsequently fostering the transcription of TUG1 via MYC. Induced TUG1, through competitive binding with miR-188-3p, facilitated the expression of GPX4, thereby diminishing intracellular ROS levels and impeding ferroptosis in prostate luminal cells. Notably, the ferroptosis inducer JKE-1674 alleviated inflammation-induced prostatic hyperplasia in vivo. Together, these findings suggest that AR deficiency crucially inhibits ferroptosis, promoting BPH via the TUG1/miR-188-3p/GPX4 signaling axis, and making ferroptosis induction a promising therapeutic strategy for BPH patients with AR deficiency.

Redox biology. 2024 Aug 02 [Epub ahead of print]

Ming Zhan, Huan Xu, Guopeng Yu, Qi Chen, Ruifeng Yang, Yanbo Chen, Jianchao Ge, Zhong Wang, Ruimeng Yang, Bin Xu

Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China; Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Monrovia, CA, 91016, USA., Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China., Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China., Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China; Department of Urology, Shanghai Pudong New Area Gongli Hospital, Shanghai, 200135, China. Electronic address: ., Department of Pathology, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA; Department of Molecular Diagnostics & Endocrinology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China. Electronic address: .