Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40423300›Full record

ArticleToxins2025

The Uremic Toxins Inorganic Phosphate, Indoxylsulphate, p-Cresylsulphate, and TMAO Induce the Generation of Sulphated Glycosaminoglycans in Aortic Tissue and Vascular Cells via pAKT Signaling: A Missing Link in the "Gut-Matrix Axis".

Christian Freise, Susanne Metzkow, Andreas Zappe, Monika Ebert, Nicola Stolzenburg, Julia Hahndorf, Jörg Schnorr, Kevin Pagel, Matthias Taupitz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Toxins, 2025. 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. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. 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.

Christian FreiseDepartment of Radiology, Campus Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-2602-226X
Susanne MetzkowDepartment of Radiology, Campus Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Andreas ZappeDepartment of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Monika EbertDepartment of Radiology, Campus Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-8795-8507
Nicola StolzenburgDepartment of Radiology, Campus Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-3012-1810
Julia HahndorfDepartment of Radiology, Campus Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-6732-1560
Jörg SchnorrDepartment of Radiology, Campus Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-9819-3060
Kevin PagelDepartment of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Matthias TaupitzDepartment of Radiology, Campus Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2994-8263

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 372486779 (SFB 1340/2)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Gut-derived uremic toxins (UTs) contribute to cardiovascular disorders like atherosclerosis and cardiomyopathy in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), causing increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The intermediate steps between higher concentrations of gut-derived UTs and organ damage caused by UTs are still insufficiently understood. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) as components of the extracellular matrix are known to interact with various ligands such as growth factors or receptors, thereby influencing (patho)physiological processes. We previously found that the UT inorganic phosphate (Pi) induces the synthesis and sulphation of the GAGs heparan sulphate and chondroitin sulphate in the rat vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) line A7r5 and in the human endothelial cell (EC) line EA.Hy926. The aim of this study was to investigate if other organic UTs modulate GAGs in vascular cells as well. We treated ex vivo cultures of rat aortic rings as well as primary rat VSMCs and human ECs with the UTs Pi, indoxylsulphate (IS), p-cresylsulphate (pCS), trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), and urea, and analyzed the samples by histological staining, qPCR, western blot, HPLC, and colorimetric assays. The UT treatment of aortic rings and cells increased contents of sulphated GAGs and hyaluronic acid. UT-treated cells contained higher amounts of 4S- and 6S-sulphated GAGs compared to controls. This was accompanied by altered expressions of genes and proteins relevant for GAG metabolism. Mechanistically, the effects of the UTs on GAGs involve the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway and of the transcription factor NF-κB. In conclusion, the UT-induced remodeling of the cardiovascular matrix by upregulation of sulphated GAGs and hyaluronic acid in aortic tissue and vascular cells might be a missing link between gut-derived UT and pathophysiological alterations in the cardiovascular system in the sense of a gut-matrix axis.

Indexed as

AortaCresolsGlycosaminoglycansIndicanMethylaminesPhosphatesProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktSulfuric Acid EstersUremic ToxinsAnimalsCells, CulturedEndothelial CellsHumansMaleMuscle, Smooth, VascularMyocytes, Smooth Muscle4-cresol sulfateCresolsGlycosaminoglycansIndicanMethylaminesPhosphatesProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktSulfuric Acid EsterstrimethyloxamineUremic Toxinsaortic ringschondroitin sulphatechronic kidney diseaseglycosaminoglycansgut–matrix axisheparan sulphatehyaluronic acidinorganic phosphatesulphated glycosaminoglycansuremic toxinsvascular smooth muscle cells

Identifiers

PMID40423300
PMCPMC12115552

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.