Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39547438›Full record

ArticleJournal of advanced research2025

Deficiency of myeloid NPC1 exacerbates liver injury and fibrosis by impairing macrophage efferocytosis.

Dongwei Guan, Pengju Huang, Xinlei Liu, Qing Li, Xiaoxun Zhang, Nan Liu, Yong Wang, Ying Wan, Jin Chai, Shiying Cai and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of advanced research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

12 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2026
    Article
  4. Review
  5. cGAS-STING signaling pathway in MASLD and liver fibrosis.Journal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany) · 2026
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Macrophage heterogeneity in liver fibrosis.Frontiers in immunology · 2025
    Review
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

12 authors.

Dongwei GuanLaboratory Animal Research Center, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China. Electronic address: dwguan@cqu.edu.cn.
Pengju HuangLaboratory Animal Research Center, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
Xinlei LiuLaboratory Animal Research Center, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
Qing LiLaboratory Animal Research Center, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
Xiaoxun ZhangDepartment of Gastroenterology, Institute of Digestive Diseases of PLA, Cholestatic Liver Diseases Center and Center for Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital (Southwest Hospital), Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Nan LiuDepartment of Urology Oncological Surgery, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing 400030, China.
Yong WangDepartment of Laboratory Animal Science, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Ying WanBiomedical Analysis Center, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Jin ChaiDepartment of Gastroenterology, Institute of Digestive Diseases of PLA, Cholestatic Liver Diseases Center and Center for Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital (Southwest Hospital), Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Shiying CaiDepartment of Internal Medicine and Liver Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Rui ChenDepartment of Pathology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing 400030, China. Electronic address: chenrui76@cqu.edu.cn.
Zhijia YeLaboratory Animal Research Center, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China. Electronic address: yezj918@cqu.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionNiemann-Pick C1 (NPC1), a lysosomal cholesterol transport protein, is required for efficient efferocytosis. Patients with Npc1 mutation are frequently accompanied with hepatic symptoms, including hepatomegaly, elevated liver transaminases, or even acute liver failure, but the pathogenic mechanism remains unknown.

objectivesOur work aims to characterize the functional role of myeloid NPC1 in liver injury and elucidate its underlying mechanism.

methodsAnalyses of injured livers from patients with liver diseases and mouse models were conducted to examine NPC1 expression. Myeloid cell-specific Npc1 knockout mice were constructed to determine the functional role of macrophage NPC1 in liver injury. Isolated macrophages were subjected to in vitro mechanistical assays.

resultsWe found that NPC1 is mainly expressed in hepatic macrophages. Its mRNA and protein expression are significantly elevated in injured livers from both patients and mouse models. Tissue-specific deletion of myeloid Npc1 increased liver inflammation, levels of serum liver function enzymes, and liver fibrosis in mouse models of liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl

conclusionsThese findings indicate that elevated expression of myeloid NPC1 in liver diseases protects liver from injury by promoting macrophage efferocytosis of damaged cells. Dysfunction of NPC1 aggravates liver injury, suggesting that NPC1 may be a potential therapeutic target for treating liver diseases.

Indexed as

Chemical and Drug Induced Liver InjuryIntracellular Signaling Peptides and ProteinsLiver CirrhosisMacrophagesNiemann-Pick C1 ProteinPhagocytosisAnimalsCarbon TetrachlorideDisease Models, AnimalEfferocytosisHumansLiverMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, KnockoutCarbon TetrachlorideIntracellular Signaling Peptides and ProteinsNiemann-Pick C1 ProteinNpc1 protein, mouseEfferocytosisLiver fibrosisLiver injuryMacrophageNPC1

Identifiers

PMID39547438
PMCPMC12147626

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.