Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40867551›Full record

ArticleBiomolecules2025

ACSL4 Drives C5a/C5aR1-Calcium-Induced Fibroblast-to-Myofibroblast Transition in a Bleomycin-Induced Mouse Model of Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Tingting Ren, Jia Shi, Lili Zhuang, Ruiting Su, Yimei Lai, Niansheng Yang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biomolecules, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. 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

6 authors.

Tingting RenDepartment of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Jia ShiDepartment of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Lili ZhuangDepartment of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Ruiting SuDepartment of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Yimei LaiDepartment of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Niansheng YangDepartment of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82171770National Natural Science Foundation of China 82471818
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition driven by aberrant fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT). However, the upstream regulators and downstream effectors of this process remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4), a lipid metabolic enzyme, as a critical mediator linking complement component 5a (C5a)/C5a receptor 1 (C5aR1) signaling to FMT via calcium signaling. In bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis of C57BL/6JGpt mice, and in C5a-stimulated primary lung fibroblasts, the expression of ACSL4 was markedly upregulated. Pharmacological inhibition of ACSL4 (PRGL493) or C5aR1 (PMX53) attenuated the deposition of ECM and suppressed the expression of fibrotic markers in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, the activation of C5a/C5aR1 signaling increased intracellular calcium levels and promoted the expression of ACSL4, while inhibition of calcium signaling (FK506) reversed the upregulation of ACSL4 and FMT-related changes, including the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) and the migration of fibroblasts. Notably, inhibition of ACSL4 did not affect the proliferation of fibroblasts, suggesting its specific role in phenotypic transition. These findings demonstrate that ACSL4 functions downstream of C5a/C5aR1-induced calcium signaling to promote FMT and the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. Targeting ACSL4 may therefore offer a novel therapeutic strategy for IPF.

Indexed as

CalciumCoenzyme A LigasesComplement C5aFibroblastsIdiopathic Pulmonary FibrosisMyofibroblastsPulmonary FibrosisReceptor, Anaphylatoxin C5aAnimalsBleomycinCalcium SignalingDisease Models, AnimalMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLBleomycinC5ar1 protein, mouseCalciumCoenzyme A LigasesComplement C5aReceptor, Anaphylatoxin C5aACSL4C5a/C5aR1calcium signalfibroblastidiopathic pulmonary fibrosismyofibroblast

Identifiers

PMID40867551
PMCPMC12383839

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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.