ArticleLipids2019
Comparison of Carotenoids for Their Antifibrogenic Effects in Hepatic Stellate Cells.
Article in Lipids, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Lutein Modulates Stress-Responsive Signaling Pathways in THLE-2 Human Hepatocytes Under Intestinal Failure-Associated Liver Disease Conditions.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking Analysis and Experiment Validations on Molecular Targets and Mechanisms of the Dispel-Scar Ointment in Scar Treatment.Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) have an important role in the development of liver fibrosis by producing extracellular matrix proteins when they are activated upon liver injury. We previously demonstrated that astaxanthin (ASTX), a xanthophyll carotenoid, attenuates HSC activation. The objective of this study was to compare the anti-fibrogenic effects of ASTX with those of other common carotenoids. LX-2 cells, a human HSC cell line, were treated with ASTX, lycopene, lutein (LT), zeaxanthin, or canthaxanthin, to measure messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of pro-fibrogenic genes. Pro-fibrogenic gene expressions were also measured in ASTX- or LT-treated primary mouse HSC. To determine the underlying mechanisms of the anti-fibrogenic effect of ASTX and LT, SMA-related and MAD-related protein 3 (SMAD3) pathways and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured in LX-2 cells. Among five carotenoids tested, ASTX and LT attenuated HSC activation in LX-2 cells by reducing the mRNA and protein levels of pro-fibrogenic genes, such as smooth muscle α actin and procollagen type I α1 (COL1A1). In addition, both ASTX and LT significantly decreased the expression of pro-fibrogenic genes, including COL1A1, COL3A1, and COL6A1, in activated primary mouse HSC, with ASTX being more potent than LT. The anti-fibrogenic effect of ASTX was mediated by inhibiting the phosphorylation of SMAD3 and cellular ROS accumulation, while LT only prevented the accumulation of ROS in LX-2 cells. In conclusion, ASTX showed the most potent anti-fibrogenic effect among the five carotenoids via inhibition of SMAD3 phosphorylation and cellular ROS accumulation while LT only prevented ROS levels in HSC.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.