Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40999359›Full record

ArticleBMC genomics2025

Integrative analysis of mRNA, lncRNA, circRNA, and miRNA to investigate the anti-fibrotic activity of silibinin in TGF-β2-treated human trabecular meshwork cells.

Jinfeng Liu, Xueping Wu, Junhong Guo, Lina Zhou, Xin Liu, Lei Zhu, Lan Ma, Jiantao Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC genomics, 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. 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

8 authors.

Jinfeng Liu *Shenzhen Eye Medical Center, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Southern Medical University, 18 Zetian Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518040, China.
Xueping Wu *Xiamen Eye Center and Eye Institute of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Junhong Guo *Shenzhen Eye Medical Center, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Southern Medical University, 18 Zetian Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518040, China.
Lina ZhouDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
Xin LiuShenzhen Eye Medical Center, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Southern Medical University, 18 Zetian Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518040, China.
Lei ZhuShenzhen Eye Medical Center, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Southern Medical University, 18 Zetian Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518040, China.
Lan MaInstitute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Xili University Town, Building L Room 305 A, Tsinghua University Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China. malan@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn.
Jiantao WangShenzhen Eye Medical Center, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Southern Medical University, 18 Zetian Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518040, China. jiantaowang65@163.com.

Funding

National Nature Science Foundation of China 82070961the Basic Research Project of Shenzhen JCYJ20240813152617023
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTGF-β-induced fibrogenic changes in human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells contribute to intraocular pressure elevation in glaucoma. Silibinin, a natural polyphenolic flavonoid from milk thistle seeds, has been well investigated for its function to inhibit fibrosis. The transcriptomic changes in noncoding RNAs contributing to the pro-fibrotic effect of TGF-β2 and the anti-fibrotic activity of silibinin in HTM cells remain unknown.

methodsRNA sequencing was conducted to characterize the transcriptomic profiles (mRNA, lncRNA, circRNA, and miRNA) in TGF-β2-stimulated HTM cells, with or without silibinin treatment. Pathway enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed RNAs was conducted. Competing endogenous RNA networks were constructed.

resultsTGF-β2 upregulated 1119 mRNAs, 319 lncRNAs, 383 circRNAs, and 30 miRNAs in HTM cells, of which 545 mRNAs, 183 lncRNAs, 265 circRNAs, and 22 miRNAs were reversed by silibinin. These rescued mRNAs, including COL1A1 and α-SMA, were enriched in pathways including cell migration, cell adhesion, and extracellular matrix. Furthermore, TGF-β2 downregulated 1165 mRNAs, 212 lncRNAs, 449 circRNAs, and 15 miRNAs, of which 395 mRNAs, 54 lncRNAs, 104 circRNAs, and 7 miRNAs were reversed by silibinin. These rescued mRNAs were enriched in cytokine-mediated signaling pathway and inflammatory response. By predicting the binding of differentially expressed mRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs to miRNAs via miranda (v 3.3a) software, we constructed lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks that might be involved in the effects of TGF-β2 and silibinin in HTM cells.

conclusionsSilibinin mitigated TGF-β2-induced alterations in the coding and noncoding RNA profiles of HTM cells, presumably contributing to its anti-fibrotic activity. To our knowledge, this is the first study to illustrate the lncRNA and circRNA changes induced by TGF-β2 in HTM cells, and the first study to investigate silibinin's anti-fibrotic effects in HTM cells from the perspective of noncoding RNAs. Our work deepened the understanding of gene regulation by noncoding RNAs in the TGF-β2-induced fibrogenic changes and the anti-fibrotic activity of silibinin in HTM cells.

Indexed as

RNA, CircularRNA, Long NoncodingSilybinTrabecular MeshworkTransforming Growth Factor beta2FibrosisGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression RegulationGene Regulatory NetworksHumansMicroRNAsRNA, MessengerTranscriptomeMicroRNAsRNA, CircularRNA, Long NoncodingRNA, MessengerSilybinTransforming Growth Factor beta2circRNAFibrogenic changelncRNAmiRNAmRNASilibininTGF-β2Trabecular meshwork cell

Identifiers

PMID40999359
PMCPMC12465171

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.