Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42123641›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2026

Pirfenidone Suppresses Liver Fibrosis Through Inhibition of TGF-β-Associated Lipid Metabolic Remodeling in Hepatic Stellate Cells.

Yuelu Lan, Sijia Li, Shuangli Zhu, Can Pan, Kai Fu, Xueping Wang, Liwu Fu, Fang Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2026. 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.

Yuelu LanState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Sijia LiState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Shuangli ZhuState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Can PanState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Kai FuState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Xueping WangState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.ORCID 0000-0002-3519-3100
Liwu FuState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Fang WangState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.

Funding

Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Research Institute No. Q-202208National Natural Science Foundation of China No: 82073317National Natural Science Foundation of China No:82573222
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Chronic liver injury is characterized by sustained activation of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling within the fibrotic microenvironment, yet the contribution of TGF-β-associated metabolic remodeling to hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation remains incompletely understood. Here, we investigated whether TGF-β signaling is associated with lipid metabolic remodeling in HSCs and whether pirfenidone (PFD) interferes with this process. We found that TGF-β1 was spatially associated with lipid accumulation in fibrotic liver tissue and that TGF-β1/2 promoted HSC proliferation. In vitro, TGF-β1/2 coordinately upregulated sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) and fatty acid synthase (FASN), accompanied by increased intracellular lipid accumulation and enhanced oleic acid (OA)-associated lipid responses. Low-dose OA further activated AKT/ERK/p70 S6K signaling in HSCs, whereas PFD attenuated these signaling events. In parallel, PFD suppressed TGF-β-associated lipid accumulation in vitro, reduced SREBP1/FASN expression in activated HSC-rich regions in vivo, and alleviated CCl

Indexed as

Hepatic Stellate CellsLipid MetabolismLiver CirrhosisPyridonesTransforming Growth Factor betaAnimalsCell ProliferationMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLSignal TransductionSterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1Transforming Growth Factor beta1pirfenidonePyridonesSterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1Transforming Growth Factor betaTransforming Growth Factor beta1FASNhepatic stellate cell (HSC)lipogenesis/lipid metabolismliver fibrosispirfenidoneSREBP1transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)

Identifiers

PMID42123641
PMCPMC13164092

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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.