摘要Interfering with the ferroptosis pathway is a new strategy for the treatment of spinal cord injury.Fibroblast growth factor 21 can inhibit ferroptosis and promote neurofunctional recovery,while heme oxygenase-1 is a regulator of iron and reactive oxygen species homeostasis.The relationship between heme oxygenase-1 and ferroptosis remains controversial.In this study,we used a spinal cord injury rat model to show that the levels of fibroblast growth factor 21 in spinal cord tissue decreased after spinal cord injury.In addition,there was a significant aggravation of ferroptosis and a rapid increase in heme oxygenase-1 expression after spinal cord injury.Further,heme oxygenase-1 aggravated ferroptosis after spinal cord injury,while fibroblast growth factor 21 inhibited ferroptosis by downregulating heme oxygenase-1.Thus,the activation of fibroblast growth factor 21 may provide a potential treatment for spinal cord injury.These findings could provide a new potential mechanistic explanation for fibroblast growth factor 21 in the treatment of spinal cord injury.