Evidence mapPaperPMID 39211336Full record

ArticleFrontiers in medicine2024

Mechanism of action of quercetin in regulating cellular autophagy in multiple organs of Goto-Kakizaki rats through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Zhiqun Guo, Jingyu Zhang, Mianxin Li, Zengwei Xing, Xi Li, Jiaqi Qing, Yuan Zhang, Lemei Zhu, Mingxu Qi, Xuemin Zou

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Protective effect ofFrontiers in toxicology · 2026
    Article
  2. Exploration of the Mechanisms ofCurrent issues in molecular biology · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Multidimensional mechanisms of quercetin in diabetic kidney disease.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025
    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

10 authors.

Zhiqun Guo *Hunan Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, Changsha, China.
Jingyu Zhang *Hunan Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, Changsha, China.
Mianxin LiHunan Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, Changsha, China.
Zengwei XingHunan Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, Changsha, China.
Xi LiHunan Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, Changsha, China.
Jiaqi QingHunan Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, Changsha, China.
Yuan ZhangHunan Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, Changsha, China.
Lemei ZhuHunan Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, Changsha, China.
Mingxu QiDepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
Xuemin ZouHunan Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, Changsha, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: This experimental study investigated the protective function of quercetin on the liver, spleen, and kidneys of Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats and explores its mechanism of action on autophagy-related factors and pathways. Materials and methods: GK rats were randomly divided into three groups: DM, DM + L-Que, and DM + H-Que, with age-matched Wistar rats serving as the control group. The control and DM groups were gavaged with saline, and the quercetin-treated group was gavaged with quercetin for 8 weeks each. Weekly blood glucose levels were monitored. Upon conclusion of the experiment, blood samples were gathered for lipid and hepatic and renal function analyses. The histopathologic morphology and lipid deposition in rats were examined. Disease-related targets were identified using molecular docking methods and network pharmacology analysis. Subsequently, immunohistochemical analysis was performed, followed by Western blotting to evaluate the levels of autophagy-related proteins and proteins in the AKT/PI3K/mTOR pathway, as well as their phosphorylation levels. Results: The results showed that, compared with the control group, the DM group exhibited significant increases in blood glucose, serum liver and kidney markers, liver fat vacuoles, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) results indicated that quercetin reduced the extensive expression of AKT, P62, and mTOR in the liver and spleen of diabetic rats. The expression of autophagy and pathway-related proteins, such as P62, PI3K, P-PI3K, Akt, P-AKT, mTOR, and P-mTOR, was upregulated, while the expression of LC3A/LC3B, Beclin-1, Pink-1, and Parkin was downregulated. Conversely, the quercetin group showed a reduction in liver and kidney injury serum markers by decreasing lipid deposition and cell necrosis, indicating that quercetin has protective effects on the liver, spleen, and kidneys of GK rats. Additionally, in the quercetin group, the expression of autophagy and pathway-related proteins such as LC3A/LC3B, Beclin-1, Pink-1, and Parkin was upregulated, while the expression of P62, PI3K, P-PI3K, Akt, P-AKT, mTOR, and P-mTOR was downregulated, with statistically significant correlations. Conclusion: Quercetin markedly ameliorates liver, spleen, and kidney damage in GK rats, potentially through the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, promoting autophagy. This research offers a rationale to the therapeutic potential of quercetin in mitigating organ damage associated with diabetes.

Indexed as

autophagydiabetes mellitusGK ratPI3K/AkT/mTOR pathwayquercetin

Identifiers

PMID39211336
PMCPMC11357923

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.