Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40254678›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

A medium-chain fatty acid analogue prevents endotoxin liver injury in a murine model.

Sarah Z Wang, Thomas I Hirsch, Scott C Fligor, Savas T Tsikis, Amy Pan, Mikayla Quigley, Paul D Mitchell, Kathleen M Gura, David A Fraser, Mark Puder

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

10 authors.

Sarah Z WangBoston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. Sarah.Wang@childrens.harvard.edu.
Thomas I HirschBoston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Scott C FligorBoston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Savas T TsikisBoston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Amy PanBoston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Mikayla QuigleyBoston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Paul D MitchellBoston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Kathleen M GuraBoston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
David A FraserNorthSea Therapeutics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Mark PuderBoston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. Mark.Puder@childrens.harvard.edu.

Funding

RESEARCH TRAINING IN ALIMENTARY TRACT SURGERYT32DK007754 · NIDDK · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI HODIN, RICHARD A. · 1997 to 2025
$6.5M
NIDDK NIH HHS T32 DK007754NIH HHS 2T32DK007754-22NIH HHS 5T32HL007734
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Parenteral nutrition (PN) is lifesaving for patients with short bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal disorders, however long-term use may lead to complications including hepatosteatosis and sepsis. We have previously demonstrated the anti-steatotic, -fibrotic, and -inflammatory properties of SEFA-6179, an engineered medium-chain fatty acid analogue. We hypothesized that SEFA-6179 treatment would protect against endotoxin-induced liver injury in a murine model of PN-induced hepatosteatosis. C57Bl/6J mice were administered a high-carbohydrate liquid diet plus intravenous lipid emulsion (Intralipid, 4 g fat/kg/d) or intravenous saline for 19 days to induce hepatosteatosis. SEFA-6179 (100 mg/kg) or vehicle (MCT/medium-chain triglyceride) was administered via oral gavage for four days leading up to intraperitoneal challenge with lipopolysaccharide (15 mg/kg) or saline on day 19. Age-matched, chow-fed controls received the same treatments. The primary outcome was liver biomarkers: alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP1), were analyzed. Liver immunofluorescence staining was performed to evaluate macrophage phenotypes. In endotoxin-challenged mice, pre-treatment with SEFA-6179 lowered liver enzymes and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels compared to vehicle. On liver histology, SEFA-6179 pre-treatment led to greater polarization of M1/pro-inflammatory macrophages to an M2/anti-inflammatory phenotype compared to vehicle. SEFA-6179 is currently in Phase II clinical trials. These findings support the potential application of SEFA-6179 in high-risk, PN-dependent patients.

Indexed as

Chemical and Drug Induced Liver InjuryEndotoxinsFatty AcidsFatty LiverAlanine TransaminaseAnimalsBiomarkersCytokinesDisease Models, AnimalLipopolysaccharidesLiverMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLParenteral NutritionAlanine TransaminaseBiomarkersCytokinesEndotoxinsFatty AcidsLipopolysaccharidesFatty acidInflammationLiver steatosisParenteral nutrition

Identifiers

PMID40254678
PMCPMC12009971

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.