ALDH3B1 protects interfollicular epidermal cells against lipid peroxidation via the NRF2 pathway

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is critical for the initiation of wound repair; however, persistently high levels of ROS can lead to lipid peroxidation in cells and thus affect wound healing. Iron is a transition metal that is an essential component of almost all living cells and organisms. When present in excess in cells and tissues, iron disrupts redox homeostasis and catalyzes the generation of ROS, leading to increased lipid peroxidation. In this study, we found that after treating interfollicular epidermal (IFE) cells with different concentrations of holotransferrin (0 µg/ml, 1 µg/ml, 10 µg/ml, 100 µg/ml, and 1 mg/ml), the intracellular iron content increased, and cell viability and function did not differ significantly among the treatment groups of cells. In addition, the level of lipid peroxidation in IFE cells did not increase following holotransferrin treatment. We speculated that there is a protective mechanism within IFE cells that reduces the occurrence of intracellular lipid peroxidation. We also found that the elevated intracellular iron content of IFE cells was accompanied by elevated ALDH3B1 expression. We investigated the effect of ALDH3B1 on the level of lipid peroxidation in IFE cells and found that elevated ALDH3B1 expression decreased the damage to IFE cells induced by lipid peroxidation. In addition, the NRF2 pathway was found to affect the expression of ALDH3B1, which in turn affected lipid peroxidation in IFE cells. These findings suggest that in IFE cells, activation of the NRF2 pathway can increase the expression of ALDH3B1 and thus reduce the production of intracellular ROS and the occurrence of intracellular lipid peroxidation. Therefore, ALDH3B1 may be a potential target for the treatment of chronic wounds.