Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40852727›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

Therapeutic potential of formononetin in cirrhotic portal hypertension: modulating hepatic fibrosis, macrophage polarization, and lymphangiogenesis.

Zhenghao Wu, Guqing Luo, Hongjie Li, Min Chen, Guangbo Wu, Qiang Fan, Chihao Zhang, Jiwei Yu, Jiayun Lin, Jinbo Zhao and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Zhenghao Wu *Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Guqing Luo *Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Hongjie Li *Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Min ChenDepartment of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Guangbo WuDepartment of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Qiang FanDepartment of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Chihao ZhangDepartment of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jiwei YuDepartment of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jiayun LinDepartment of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jinbo ZhaoDepartment of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Xiaoliang QiDepartment of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Haizhong HuoDepartment of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Meng LuoDepartment of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Lei ZhengDepartment of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Formononetin regulates intrahepatic fibrogenesis and macrophage polarization to improve portal pressure and liver function in rats with cirrhotic PHT through SMAD3, STAT1, STAT3 and GSK-3β signaling pathways, and modulates lymphangiogenesis through direct action and macrophage polarization-mediated indirect effects. Formononetin has the potential function of treating cirrhotic PHT. Background and aims: Formononetin (FN) has been reported to have anti-fibrotic effects in the kidneys and anti-M1 polarization effects on macrophages. Lymphangiogenesis is closely associated with macrophages, but its role in cirrhosis and portal hypertension (PHT) remains unclear. This study aims to explore the effects of FN on cirrhotic PHT and the disease-related intrahepatic lymphangiogenesis. Methods: Results: FN significantly ameliorated portal pressure in cirrhosis-induced PHT, improved liver function, and reduced liver fibrosis and hepatic stellate cell activation with decreased SMAD3 protein expression. The intrahepatic macrophage infiltration were markedly decreased, and M1-type macrophage polarization was suppressed by FN, accompanied by inhibition of STAT1, STAT3 and GSK-3β signaling pathways. In PHT models, FN reduced VEGF-C and VEGF-D levels in both the liver and blood, inhibiting intrahepatic lymphangiogenesis in portal area. Conclusions: FN significantly ameliorates cirrhotic PHT while reducing fibrosis, suppressing macrophage M1 polarization and inhibiting lymphangiogenesis. This may result from its modulation of multiple signaling pathways (SMAD3, STAT1, STAT3 and GSK-3β).

Indexed as

Hypertension, PortalIsoflavonesLiver CirrhosisLymphangiogenesisMacrophagesAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalHepatic Stellate CellsMacrophage ActivationMaleRatsRats, Sprague-DawleySignal TransductionformononetinIsoflavonesformononetinliver cirrhosislymphangiogenesismacrophages polarizationportal hypertension

Identifiers

PMID40852727
PMCPMC12367483

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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.