Vitamin D ameliorates prediabetic cardiac injure via modulation of the ErbB4/ferroptosis signaling axis

Vitamin D (VD) deficiency is closely associated with metabolic health and cardiac function in prediabetic patients, yet its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the role of VD intervention in prediabetic cardiac injury through in vivo and in vitro models, with particular foc...

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Main Authors: Yufan Miao, Yujing Zhang, Luoya Zhang, Hao Chen, Lulu Tang, Wenjie Li, Chenxi Gu, Lili Lang, Xing Li, Hanlu Song
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1626295/full
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author Yufan Miao
Yujing Zhang
Luoya Zhang
Hao Chen
Lulu Tang
Wenjie Li
Chenxi Gu
Lili Lang
Xing Li
Xing Li
Hanlu Song
Hanlu Song
author_facet Yufan Miao
Yujing Zhang
Luoya Zhang
Hao Chen
Lulu Tang
Wenjie Li
Chenxi Gu
Lili Lang
Xing Li
Xing Li
Hanlu Song
Hanlu Song
author_sort Yufan Miao
collection DOAJ
description Vitamin D (VD) deficiency is closely associated with metabolic health and cardiac function in prediabetic patients, yet its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the role of VD intervention in prediabetic cardiac injury through in vivo and in vitro models, with particular focus on the ErbB4/ferroptosis axis. Using a high-fat diet-induced KKAy prediabetic mouse model, we observed significant metabolic abnormalities (increased body weight, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance) and cardiac remodeling (cardiac hypertrophy and functional impairment) (P<0.05). Remarkably, 16-week vitamin D (VD3) supplementation substantially ameliorated these pathological changes and reduced serum cardiac injury markers (P<0.05). Mechanistic studies revealed that VD3 downregulated myocardial NRG1 expression, inhibited ErbB4 phosphorylation (p-ErbB4) and YAP activation (p-YAP), while reversing the abnormal expression of ferroptosis-related proteins. In vitro experiments confirmed that high glucose combined with palmitic acid (HGPA) induced ferroptosis in H9c2 cardiomyocytes, which was alleviated by 1,25(OH)2D3 intervention through suppression of ErbB4 phosphorylation. Notably, combined treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 and the ErbB4 phosphorylation inhibitor dacomitinib demonstrated synergistic protective effects. Our findings not only expand the understanding of the association between prediabetes and VD, but also reveal a relationship between ErbB4 and cardiac ferroptosis in prediabetic conditions.
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publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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spelling doaj-art-c00d7b45a3914295aa7fc0b715354c5d2025-08-20T03:50:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-07-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.16262951626295Vitamin D ameliorates prediabetic cardiac injure via modulation of the ErbB4/ferroptosis signaling axisYufan Miao0Yujing Zhang1Luoya Zhang2Hao Chen3Lulu Tang4Wenjie Li5Chenxi Gu6Lili Lang7Xing Li8Xing Li9Hanlu Song10Hanlu Song11Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaBiomedical Engineering Department, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, Shanxi, ChinaDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaSchool of Design and Innovation, Tan Kah Kee College, Xiamen University, Zhangzhou, ChinaVitamin D (VD) deficiency is closely associated with metabolic health and cardiac function in prediabetic patients, yet its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the role of VD intervention in prediabetic cardiac injury through in vivo and in vitro models, with particular focus on the ErbB4/ferroptosis axis. Using a high-fat diet-induced KKAy prediabetic mouse model, we observed significant metabolic abnormalities (increased body weight, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance) and cardiac remodeling (cardiac hypertrophy and functional impairment) (P<0.05). Remarkably, 16-week vitamin D (VD3) supplementation substantially ameliorated these pathological changes and reduced serum cardiac injury markers (P<0.05). Mechanistic studies revealed that VD3 downregulated myocardial NRG1 expression, inhibited ErbB4 phosphorylation (p-ErbB4) and YAP activation (p-YAP), while reversing the abnormal expression of ferroptosis-related proteins. In vitro experiments confirmed that high glucose combined with palmitic acid (HGPA) induced ferroptosis in H9c2 cardiomyocytes, which was alleviated by 1,25(OH)2D3 intervention through suppression of ErbB4 phosphorylation. Notably, combined treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 and the ErbB4 phosphorylation inhibitor dacomitinib demonstrated synergistic protective effects. Our findings not only expand the understanding of the association between prediabetes and VD, but also reveal a relationship between ErbB4 and cardiac ferroptosis in prediabetic conditions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1626295/fullprediabetesvitamin DErbB4ferroptosismyocardial injury
spellingShingle Yufan Miao
Yujing Zhang
Luoya Zhang
Hao Chen
Lulu Tang
Wenjie Li
Chenxi Gu
Lili Lang
Xing Li
Xing Li
Hanlu Song
Hanlu Song
Vitamin D ameliorates prediabetic cardiac injure via modulation of the ErbB4/ferroptosis signaling axis
Frontiers in Immunology
prediabetes
vitamin D
ErbB4
ferroptosis
myocardial injury
title Vitamin D ameliorates prediabetic cardiac injure via modulation of the ErbB4/ferroptosis signaling axis
title_full Vitamin D ameliorates prediabetic cardiac injure via modulation of the ErbB4/ferroptosis signaling axis
title_fullStr Vitamin D ameliorates prediabetic cardiac injure via modulation of the ErbB4/ferroptosis signaling axis
title_full_unstemmed Vitamin D ameliorates prediabetic cardiac injure via modulation of the ErbB4/ferroptosis signaling axis
title_short Vitamin D ameliorates prediabetic cardiac injure via modulation of the ErbB4/ferroptosis signaling axis
title_sort vitamin d ameliorates prediabetic cardiac injure via modulation of the erbb4 ferroptosis signaling axis
topic prediabetes
vitamin D
ErbB4
ferroptosis
myocardial injury
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1626295/full
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