ArticleJournal of advanced research2026
Pericyte-myofibroblast transition: a novel mechanism in peritoneal fibrosis and the effect of Asiaticoside.
Article in Journal of advanced research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Endothelial Cell-Pericyte Crosstalk in the Brain Balances Microvascular Stability and Plasticity.Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology · 2026Review
- Microbiota-derived metabolites and cognitive dysfunction in dialysis patients: mechanisms and targeted therapeutic strategies.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionPeritoneal fibrosis (PF), a major complication of long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD), is characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition mediated by activated myofibroblasts (MyoFs). While mesenchymal transition of mesothelial cells has been widely studied, the cellular origins of MyoFs remain incompletely defined. Recent evidence suggests pericytes-mural cells surrounding microvessels-may contribute to fibrosis in other organs, but their role in PF pathogenesis is undefined.
objectiveThis study aimed to clarify pericyte-myofibroblast transition (PMT) as a key mechanism of PF, investigate the role of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFRβ) signaling in orchestrating PMT, and evaluate the therapeutic potential of natural triterpenoid asiaticoside (ASI) against PDGFRβ-driven fibrosis. METHODS AND
resultsThrough single-cell RNA sequencing of chlorhexidine gluconate (CG)-induced PF mice, we identified two MyoFs subpopulations (Fibro5 and Fibro7) exhibiting pericyte lineage signatures, with trajectory inference confirming their differentiation from pericytes during fibrosis. Pharmacological and genetic approaches demonstrated that PDGFRβ signaling orchestrates PMT, as evidenced by upregulated α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), PDGFRβ, and ECM markers (Collagen I, fibronectin) in PF mice and TGF-β1/PDGF-BB-stimulated mouse peritoneal microvascular pericytes. Remarkably, ASI attenuated PF by suppressing PDGFRβ expression by 50 % and disrupting pericyte-endothelial interactions, which led to a marked reduction in peritoneal thickness (by ∼ 69 %) and collagen deposition (by ∼ 78 %). Proteomics analysis provided a perspective for analyzing the downstream mechanisms. Mechanistically, ASI mimicked PDGFRβ knockout effects, reducing MyoFs accumulation and abrogating PDGFRβ-induced Erk and Pi3k/Akt activation.
conclusionOur findings repositioned pericytes as pivotal contributors to PF and proposed ASI as a therapeutic agent against PDGFRβ-driven PMT, which provided a new perspective for antifibrotic strategies.
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