Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28212548›Full record

ArticleOncotarget2017

Branched-chain amino acids prevent hepatic fibrosis and development of hepatocellular carcinoma in a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis mouse model.

Kai Takegoshi, Masao Honda, Hikari Okada, Riuta Takabatake, Naoto Matsuzawa-Nagata, Jean S Campbell, Masashi Nishikawa, Tetsuro Shimakami, Takayoshi Shirasaki, Yoshio Sakai and 4 more

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Oncotarget, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 61 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
61citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.8field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

61 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 82 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Chemoprevention of hepatocellular carcinoma.Hepatology communications · 2025
    Review
  12. Review
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Current and emerging strategies for the prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma.Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2025
    Review
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Review

1 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Kai TakegoshiDepartment of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
Masao HondaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
Hikari OkadaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
Riuta TakabatakeDepartment of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
Naoto Matsuzawa-NagataDepartment of Disease Control and Homeostasis, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
Jean S CampbellDepartment of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
Masashi NishikawaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
Tetsuro ShimakamiDepartment of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
Takayoshi ShirasakiDepartment of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
Yoshio SakaiDepartment of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
Taro YamashitaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
Toshinari TakamuraDepartment of Disease Control and Homeostasis, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
Takuji TanakaThe Tohkai Cytopathology Institute: Cancer Research and Prevention, Gifu, Japan.
Shuichi KanekoDepartment of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
Kanazawa University · JPUniversity of Washington · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Oral supplementation with branched-chain amino acids (BCAA; leucine, isoleucine, and valine) in patients with liver cirrhosis potentially suppresses the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and improves event-free survival. However, the detailed mechanisms of BCAA action have not been fully elucidated. BCAA were administered to atherogenic and high-fat (Ath+HF) diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) model mice. Liver histology, tumor incidence, and gene expression profiles were evaluated. Ath+HF diet mice developed hepatic tumors at a high frequency at 68 weeks. BCAA supplementation significantly improved hepatic steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and tumors in Ath+HF mice at 68 weeks. GeneChip analysis demonstrated the significant resolution of pro-fibrotic gene expression by BCAA supplementation. The anti-fibrotic effect of BCAA was confirmed further using platelet-derived growth factor C transgenic mice, which develop hepatic fibrosis and tumors. In vitro, BCAA restored the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-stimulated expression of pro-fibrotic genes in hepatic stellate cells (HSC). In hepatocytes, BCAA restored TGF-β1-induced apoptosis, lipogenesis, and Wnt/β-Catenin signaling, and inhibited the transformation of WB-F344 rat liver epithelial stem-like cells. BCAA repressed the promoter activity of TGFβ1R1 by inhibiting the expression of the transcription factor NFY and histone acetyltransferase p300. Interestingly, the inhibitory effect of BCAA on TGF-β1 signaling was mTORC1 activity-dependent, suggesting the presence of negative feedback regulation from mTORC1 to TGF-β1 signaling. Thus, BCAA induce an anti-fibrotic effect in HSC, prevent apoptosis in hepatocytes, and decrease the incidence of HCC; therefore, BCAA supplementation would be beneficial for patients with advanced liver fibrosis with a high risk of HCC.

Indexed as

Amino Acids, Branched-ChainAnimalsCarcinoma, HepatocellularDisease Models, AnimalGenetic Diseases, InbornHumansLiver CirrhosisLiver NeoplasmsMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseTransforming Growth Factor beta1Amino Acids, Branched-ChainTransforming Growth Factor beta1branched-chain amino acidshepatocellular carcinomamammalian target of rapamycin complex 1nonalcoholic steatohepatitistransforming growth factor β1

Identifiers

PMID28212548
PMCPMC5392319
OpenAlexW2589097437

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.