Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41444983›Full record

ArticleLipids in health and disease2025

Bambi/Akt/Tlr4 axis protects against atherosclerosis by maintaining lipid metabolism homeostasis in macrophages.

Xiaochang Chen, Siyu Tan, Siting Li, Peihong Su, Hua Guan, Aoqi Xiang, Lusha Zhang, Haoping Wang, Qi Yu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Lipids in health and disease, 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. 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

9 authors.

Xiaochang Chen *Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, No. 1, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Shaanxi Province, 710021, Xi'an, China.
Siyu Tan *Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, No. 1, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Shaanxi Province, 710021, Xi'an, China.
Siting LiShaanxi Key Laboratory of Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, No. 1, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Shaanxi Province, 710021, Xi'an, China.
Peihong SuShaanxi Key Laboratory of Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, No. 1, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Shaanxi Province, 710021, Xi'an, China.
Hua GuanShaanxi Key Laboratory of Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, No. 1, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Shaanxi Province, 710021, Xi'an, China.
Aoqi XiangShaanxi Key Laboratory of Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, No. 1, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Shaanxi Province, 710021, Xi'an, China.
Lusha ZhangShaanxi Key Laboratory of Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, No. 1, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Shaanxi Province, 710021, Xi'an, China.
Haoping WangShaanxi Key Laboratory of Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, No. 1, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Shaanxi Province, 710021, Xi'an, China.
Qi YuShaanxi Key Laboratory of Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, No. 1, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Shaanxi Province, 710021, Xi'an, China. qiyu6028@hotmail.com.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82204543National Natural Science Foundation of China 82400996Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province 2024JC-YBQN-0227the Innovation Capability Support Program of Shaanxi 2025RS-CXTD-056the Key Laboratory Project of the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Education 23JS053Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Funding Project of Xi'an Medical University 121524093Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Funding Project of Xi'an Medical University 121525169
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsAtherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease driven by dysregulated lipid metabolism and macrophage dysfunction. However, the role of Bmp and activin membrane-binding inhibitor (Bambi), a pseudoreceptor that antagonizes Tgfβ superfamily signaling, in modulating these processes remains incompletely characterized.

methodsAn adenovirus encoding Bambi (Ad-Bambi) was generated and delivered systemically to Apoe−/− mice. Atherosclerosis was induced by high-fat diet feeding for 14 weeks, after which plaque development and macrophage phenotypes were assessed.

resultsBambi overexpression significantly attenuated the aortic atherosclerotic plaques area, promoted a shift in macrophage polarization from the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype toward the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, and significantly reduced the secretion of key inflammatory cytokines, most notably reducing adhesion G protein-coupled receptor E1 (Adgre1) levels by approximately 40% compared to the control group. In vitro, Bambi overexpression enhanced the lipid metabolic capacity of macrophages, upregulated the cholesterol transporters ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 1 (Abca1) and ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 1 (Abcg1), facilitated cholesterol efflux, and suppressed ox-LDL-induced foam cell formation. Transcriptome analysis revealed that Bambi downregulates toll-like receptor 4 (Tlr4) expression via activation of the protein kinase B (Akt) pathway, thereby modulating inflammatory responses and lipid homeostasis in macrophages.

conclusionsThese findings demonstrate that Bambi alleviates macrophage lipid metabolic dysregulation and inhibits foam cell formation through an Akt-dependent signaling mechanism. This suggests that Bambi may exert atheroprotective effect during disease and represents a potential therapeutic target for the prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis.

Indexed as

AtherosclerosisLipid MetabolismMacrophagesMembrane ProteinsProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktToll-Like Receptor 4AnimalsAortaATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 1CholesterolDiet, High-FatFoam CellsHomeostasisLipoproteins, LDLMaleAbca1 protein, mouseABCG1 protein, mouseATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 1Bambi protein, mouseCholesterolLipoproteins, LDLMembrane Proteinsoxidized low density lipoproteinProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktTlr4 protein, mouseToll-Like Receptor 4AortaApoe −/− miceAtherosclerosisBambiRNA sequence

Identifiers

PMID41444983
PMCPMC12729244

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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.