AUTHOR=Liu Hanqun , Wang Zicheng , Qiu Tong , Du Wenxing , Wu Zhe , Chen Sheng , Jiao Wenjie 

TITLE=Dexmedetomidine alleviates lung ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting cuproptosis: an in vivo study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1562535

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2025.1562535

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=Lung ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury represents an inevitable complication in lung transplantation, characterized by the excessive production of oxygen free radicals and toxic substances. Dexmedetomidine (DEX), a widely used anesthetic agent, has been shown to significantly elevate glutathione (GSH) levels, thereby conferring protection against copper influx. This study investigates the protective mechanisms of DEX in lung I/R injury, with a particular focus on cuproptosis. Utilizing a rat I/R model established by clamping the left hilum of lung for 90 min followed by 120 min of reperfusion, we examined the effects of DEX on lung injury scores, GSH content, and the expression of key proteins involved in cuproptosis. In conclusion, cuproptosis is implicated in pulmonary I/R injury, and the protective effect of DEX against lung I/R injury is partly mediated by inhibition of cuproptosis.