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Ferritin is the main intracellular storage of iron. Animal studies show that female liver and kidney express more ferritin and accumulate more iron than male. However, no study so far has investigated sex and age differences in light (FtL) and heavy (FtH) ferritin chain expression. To address this, we relied on specific antibodies and immunochemical methods to analyse the expression of both ferritin chains in the liver and kidney of 3-month and 2-year-old male and female Wistar rats. To see how sex hormones may affect expression we also studied adult animals gonadectomised at the age of 10 weeks. FtL and FtH were more expressed in both organs of female rats, while gonadectomy increased the expression in males and decreased it in females, which suggests that it is stimulated by female and inhibited by male steroid hormones. Normal kidney ferritin distribution and change with aging warrant more attention in studies of (patho) physiological and toxicological processes.

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Severe form of COVID-19 is more common in the elderly and although it may include a variety of extrapulmonary manifestations, respiratory dysfunction is primarily present, which includes iron dyshomeostasis. The aging process is characterized by a chronic pro-inflammatory condition of a milder type, and COVID-19 by strong acute inflammation, both resulting in changes in iron metabolism. A new, iron-dependent form of programmed cell death, ferroptosis, is associated with iron dyshomeostasis. The main features of ferroptosis include intracellular iron overload, inhibition of the cellular GSH / GPX4 system, and accumulation of lipid reactive compounds. Clinical manifestations of COVID-19 and changes during aging include GSH depletion, GPX4 inactivation, changes in iron metabolism markers as well as markers of enhanced lipid peroxidation. There is therefore a possibility that SARSCoV-2 may cause feroptotic death of lung cells but also cells of other organs. This review considers the molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis, their relationship to the aging process and the pathogenesis of COVID-19, and the consideration of ferroptosis as a factor linking aging and the pathogenesis of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]