Identification of ferroptosis-associated genes and potential pharmacological targets in sepsis-induced myopathy

Dongfang Wang; Ligang Xu; Yukun Liu; Chuntao Wang; Zhikai Xu; Fan Yang; Zhanfei Li; Xiangjun Bai; Yiliu Liao; Xiangping Liu; Yuchang Wang

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29062

Identification of ferroptosis-associated genes and potential pharmacological targets in sepsis-induced myopathy

Heliyon. 2024 Mar 30;10(7):e29062. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29062. eCollection 2024 Apr 15.

Authors

Dongfang Wang^{1

2}, Ligang Xu^{1

2}, Yukun Liu³, Chuntao Wang^{1

2}, Zhikai Xu^{1

2}, Fan Yang^{1

2}, Zhanfei Li^{1

2}, Xiangjun Bai^{1

2}, Yiliu Liao^{1

2}, Xiangping Liu², Yuchang Wang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Trauma Surgery, Emergency Surgery & Surgical Critical, Tongji Trauma Center, China.
² Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
³ Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.

Abstract

Background: The role of Ferroptosis in the course of sepsis-induced myopathy is yet unclear. The objective of our work is to identify key genes connected with Ferroptosis in sepsis-induced myopathy and investigate possible pharmaceutical targets related to this process. This research aims to provide new insights into the management of sepsis-induced myopathy.

Methods: We got the GSE13205 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and extracted Ferroptosis-associated genes from the FerrDb database. After conducting a functional annotation analysis of these genes, we created a protein-protein interaction network using Cytoscape software to identify important genes. Subsequently, we employed CMap to investigate prospective pharmaceuticals that could target these crucial genes.

Results: A total of 61 genes that are expressed differently (DEGs) have been found concerning Ferroptosis. These genes are involved in a wide range of biological functions, including reacting to signals from outside the cell and the availability of nutrients, programmed cell death, controlling apoptosis, and responding to peptides, chemical stressors, and hormones. The KEGG pathway study revealed that these pathways are involved in Ferroptosis, autophagy, P53 signaling, PI3K-Akt signaling, mTOR signaling, HIF-1 signaling, endocrine resistance, and different tumorigenic processes. In addition, we created a network that shows the simultaneous expression of important genes and determined the top 10 medications that have the potential to treat sepsis-induced myopathy.

Conclusion: The bioinformatics research undertaken sheds insight into the probable role of Ferroptosis-associated genes in sepsis-induced myopathy. The identified critical genes show potential as therapeutic targets for treating sepsis-induced myopathy, offering opportunities for the development of tailored medicines.

Keywords: Drug-gene prediction; Enrichment analysis; Ferroptosis; Sepsis; Sepsis-induced myopathy.