Objective:

To examine whether quercetin induces ferroptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells and explore the potential molecular mechanisms.

Approach:

• Gene manipulation: Studied the role of LGR4/NF-κB/GPX4 in OSCC cell lines CAL27 and SCC9 through gene overexpression or RNA interference.
• Quercetin treatment: Treated CAL27 and SCC9 OSCC cell lines with quercetin to examine its effects and underlying mechanisms.

Key Findings:

• Quercetin reduced the viability of OSCC cells in a dose-dependent manner.
• Co-treatment with the ferroptosis inhibitor liproxstatin-1 counteracted quercetin-induced cell death.
• Quercetin decreased GPX4 expression by suppressing the LGR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Interpretation:

Ferroptosis may play a role in quercetin's anti-OSCC activity by blocking the LGR4/NF-κB/GPX4 axis.

Conclusion:

Quercetin may induce ferroptosis in OSCC cells.