Work

Mitoquinol improves phagocytosis and glycolysis in ethanol-exposed macrophages via HIF-1α-PFKP axis

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Alcohol use disorder increases sepsis mortality. Acute ethanol exposure impairs pathogen clearance in the macrophages via dampened glycolysis and phagocytosis, exaggerates oxidative stress, and regulates the function of the hypoxia-regulating factor 1α (HIF-1α), a master regulator of glycolysis. Decreased expression of the platelet isoform of phosphofructokinase (PFKP), a key glycolytic enzyme, in ethanol-exposed macrophages, is reported. However, transcriptional regulation of PFKP with ethanol exposure is unclear. We hypothesized that acute ethanol exposure-induced oxidative stress dampens macrophage phagocytosis and glycolysis via the HIF-1α-PFKP axis. In ethanol-exposed mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages with lipopolysaccharide stimulation, we studied (i) reactive oxygen species (ROS), phagocytosis, glycolysis, PFKP, and HIF-1α expressions ± ethanol exposure; (ii) the role of HIF-1α in transcriptionally controlling PFKP messenger RNA by chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction technique; and (iii) the effect of mitoquinol (MitoQ), a mitochondria-specific antioxidant, on HIF-1α function, glycolysis, phagocytosis, and pathogen clearance in ethanol-exposed macrophages. Last, we examined the effect of MitoQ on 7-d survival in alcohol vs. vehicle-drinking mice with cecal slurry-induced sepsis. In ethanol-exposed and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages, we found that (i) excessive total and mitochondrial ROS production and dampened phagocytosis, glycolysis, and PFKP expression; (ii) dysfunctional HIF-1α downregulates PFKP transcription; (iii) MitoQ restrains ROS production, restores HIF-1α function, and improves glycolysis and phagocytosis via preserved PFKP messenger RNA and protein expression; and (iv) MitoQ treatment improves survival and pathogen clearance in ethanol with sepsis mice. In conclusion, we found that the HIF-1α-PFKP axis regulates glycolysis and phagocytosis in ethanol-exposed macrophages and is a potential therapeutic target in ethanol with sepsis.

Source: The Journal of Immunology

DOI: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf078