Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40144023›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in molecular biosciences2025

Expression and distribution of activin-follistatin-inhibin axis in the urinary bladder.

Weipu Mao, Tracy Zhang, Huan Chen, Sagar Barge, Zongwei Wang, Aria Olumi, Seth Alper, Weiqun Yu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in molecular biosciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

8 authors.

Weipu MaoDepartment of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Tracy ZhangDepartment of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Huan ChenDepartment of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Sagar BargeDepartment of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Zongwei WangDepartment of Urology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Aria OlumiDepartment of Urology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Seth AlperDepartment of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Weiqun YuDepartment of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.

Funding

Cav1.2 in bladder physiology and pathologyR01DK135672 · NIDDK · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER · PI weiqun yu · 2024 to 2026
$1.6M
Role of Ectonucleotidase in Voiding Function and DysfunctionR01DK126674 · NIDDK · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER · PI YU, WEIQUN · 2021 to 2024
$1.5M
NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK126674NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK135672
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The activin-follistatin-inhibin (AFI) axis plays a crucial role in sexual development and reproduction. Recently it was demonstrated that these proteins are also synthesized by many local tissues and regulate different biological activities, including tissue regeneration and cancer metastasis. However, little is known about the expression profile of the AFI axis in the bladder and its role in bladder function and dysfunction. We have examined the expression profile of 11 AFI family members in the mouse bladder. INHA, INHBA, and follistatin are the major ligand subunits detected among the six examined in the bladder. ACVR1, ACVR1B, and ACVR2B are the major receptor subunits detected among the five examined in the bladder. Immunolocalization studies reveal unique cellular distributions of these ligands and receptors within the bladder. The urothelial-localized ACVR2B/ACVR1B receptor complex suggests a role of activin signaling in urothelial function. The stimulatory activin A is present only in a subset of interstitial cells, separated from the urothelial activin receptor ACVR2B/ACVR1B by a basement membrane containing accumulated inhibitory ligand FST and by a layer of activin-negative myofibroblasts. This spatial information on AFI signal molecules suggests that activin A-positive interstitial cells might regulate urothelial cell function via paracrine signaling through activin A-ACVR2B/ACVR1B interaction. Further analysis of the human bladder confirmed the expression profile of the AFI axis, and revealed significantly upregulated expression of INHBA-ACVR2B in bladder cancer. These data suggest roles for these molecules in the growth and metastasis of bladder cancer, and highlight their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

Indexed as

activin signalingbladder cancerepithelial-interstitial cell interactionfollistatinurothelium

Identifiers

PMID40144023
PMCPMC11936821

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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.