Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40301912›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuroinflammation2025

Repurposing of epalrestat for neuroprotection in parkinson's disease via activation of the KEAP1/Nrf2 pathway.

Huafang Jia, Mengru Liu, Hong Jiang, Zhen Qiao, Kaiyue Ren, Xixun Du, Xi Chen, Qian Jiao, Fengyuan Che

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuroinflammation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
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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

9 authors.

Huafang JiaDepartment of Physiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders and State Key Disciplines, Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China.
Mengru LiuDepartment of Physiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders and State Key Disciplines, Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China.
Hong JiangDepartment of Physiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders and State Key Disciplines, Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China.
Zhen QiaoShandong Key Laboratory of Neurorehabilitation, School of Life Sciences and Health, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, 266113, China.
Kaiyue RenDepartment of Physiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders and State Key Disciplines, Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China.
Xixun DuDepartment of Physiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders and State Key Disciplines, Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China.
Xi ChenDepartment of Physiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders and State Key Disciplines, Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China.
Qian JiaoDepartment of Physiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders and State Key Disciplines, Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China. jiaoqian@qdu.edu.cn.
Fengyuan CheShandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases; Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Health Commission of Shandong Province; Linyi Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, 276000, China. che1971@126.com.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 32171131National Natural Science Foundation of China 32371181National Natural Science Foundation of China 82071429Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province 2021ZDSYS11Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province ZR2022MC098Taishan Scholars Construction Project tsqn202408166
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEpalrestat (EPS), an aldose reductase inhibitor, is used to alleviate peripheral nerve disorder of diabetic patients in clinical therapy. Even though EPS exerted effects in central nervous system diseases, the neuroprotection and underlying molecular mechanism in neurodegenerative diseases, especially Parkinson's disease (PD), remains obscure. Our study aimed to investigate the potential of EPS suppressed PD progression both in vivo and in vitro.

methodsWe used 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridillium ion (MPP

resultsWe found that EPS exhibited potent antiparkinsonian activity in PD models both in vivo and in vitro. PD models treated with EPS manifested alleviated oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, we found EPS activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway which contributed to DAergic neurons survival in PD models. Particularly, we firstly confirmed that EPS competitively binds to KEAP1 and enhanced its degradation, thereby activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

conclusionsCollectively, EPS attenuates oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction by directly binding KEAP1 to activate the KEAP1/Nrf2 signaling pathway, further reducing DAergic neurons damage. These findings suggest that EPS has great potential to become a therapeutic for PD as a clinically effective and safe medicine.

Indexed as

Drug RepositioningKelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1Neuroprotective AgentsNF-E2-Related Factor 2Parkinson DiseaseRhodanineThiazolidinesAnimalsHumansMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLSignal TransductionepalrestatKeap1 protein, mouseKelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1Neuroprotective AgentsNfe2l2 protein, mouseNF-E2-Related Factor 2RhodanineThiazolidinesEpalrestatKEAP1Mitochondrial dysfunctionNrf2Oxidative stressParkinson’s disease

Identifiers

PMID40301912
PMCPMC12042445

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.