Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40954151›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Cranberry improves metabolic syndrome-related organ dysfunction in rats by modulating AMPK/SREBP1, ROCK1 and TGF-β1.

Sahar M Elashmony, Yosra Alhindi, Dina H Merzeban, Rehab A Mohammed, Asmaa Mohamed Elsayed, Marwa A Sofi, Rania H Mahmoud, Hanan A Shamardl, Dina Elsayed Shaker

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Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Article
  3. 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

9 authors.

Sahar M ElashmonyMedical Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Yosra AlhindiPharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Dina H MerzebanMedical Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt. dina.merzeban@fayoum.edu.eg.
Rehab A MohammedMedical Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
Asmaa Mohamed ElsayedHistology and Cell Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
Marwa A SofiHistology and Cell Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
Rania H MahmoudMedical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
Hanan A ShamardlMedical Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, 19052, Egypt.
Dina Elsayed ShakerMedical Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, 19052, Egypt.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a widespread, complex health issue that poses a substantial global health burden with increased healthcare costs and reduced quality of life, necessitating effective prevention and management strategies. This study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of cranberry extract (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and metformin on metabolic syndrome in a rat model. Forty rats were divided into the following groups: normal control, MetS (high fat and fructose for 4 weeks followed by streptozotocin 35 mg/kg, i.p.), MetS + cranberry (50 mg/kg), MetS + cranberry (100 mg/kg), and MetS + metformin (200 mg/kg) groups. Treatments were given orally for four weeks with the continuation of a high-fat and high-fructose diet. The evaluations included key metabolic parameters, liver and kidney pathology, and relevant molecular pathways. The present results revealed that MetS induction significantly increased body weight, BMI, fasting glucose, and OGTT results; impaired lipid profile, creatinine and blood pressure; and upregulated hepatic gene expression of Rho-associated protein kinase 1 (Rock1 ) and sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 (Srebf1), which encodes the protein SREBP-1c. In addition to hepatic and renal structural abnormalities, increased collagen and increased iNOS/TGF-β1 immunoreactivity were observed. Cranberry ameliorated metabolic parameters in a dose-dependent manner, upregulated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), downregulated Rock1 and Srebf1 expression, improved the histopathology of the liver and kidney and decreased the immunoexpression of iNOS and TGF-β1. The results for cranberry were generally comparable to those for metformin. In conclusion, cranberry extract is potentially a safe therapeutic strategy for MetS, offering broad-spectrum action, organ protection, and molecular pathway modulation. These findings strongly support cranberry as a promising natural approach for managing MetS.

Indexed as

AMP-Activated Protein KinasesMetabolic SyndromePlant Extractsrho-Associated KinasesSterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1Transforming Growth Factor beta1Vaccinium macrocarponAnimalsDiet, High-FatDisease Models, AnimalKidneyLiverMaleMetforminRatsAMP-Activated Protein KinasesMetforminPlant Extractsrho-Associated KinasesSrebf1 protein, ratSterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1Transforming Growth Factor beta1AMPK/Srebf1Cranberry extractMetabolic syndromeRock1TGF-β1

Identifiers

PMID40954151
PMCPMC12436610

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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.