Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40719557›Full record

ArticleHepatology communications2025

Aramchol attenuates fibrosis in mouse models of biliary fibrosis and blocks the TGFβ-induced fibroinflammatory mediators in cholangiocytes.

Sayed Obaidullah Aseem, Jing Wang, Maleeha F Kalaiger, Grayson Way, Derrick Zhao, Yunling Tai, Emily Gurley, Jing Zeng, Xuan Wang, Lauren Ashley Cowart and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Hepatology communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Sayed Obaidullah AseemDivision of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3234-1769
Jing WangDivision of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Maleeha F KalaigerDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Grayson WayDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Derrick ZhaoDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Yunling TaiDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Emily GurleyDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Jing ZengDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Xuan WangDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Lauren Ashley CowartLipidomics and Metabolomics Shared Resource, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5312-5232
Robert C HuebertDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9812-7573
Phillip B HylemonDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Nidhi Jalan-SakrikarDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6795-0121
Arun J SanyalDivision of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8682-5748
Huiping ZhouDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0050-372

Funding

Virus Vector Shared ResourceP30CA016059 · NCI · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · PI Renato Martins · 1985 to 2026
$51.0M
Mouse Model and Pathological Analysis CoreP01CA275740 · NCI · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · PI Nolan Wages · 2024 to 2026
$10.6M
Molecular Mechanisms of Cholestatic FibrogenesisR01DK117861 · NIDDK · MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER · PI Robert Christian Huebert · 2019 to 2026
$2.8M
Circular RNAs in Cholestatic Liver DiseasesR01DK139587 · NIDDK · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · PI HUIPING ZHOU · 2024 to 2026
$2.2M
Sphingolipids in alcoholic liver diseaseR01AA030180 · NIAAA · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · PI PHILLIP B HYLEMON, HUIPING ZHOU · 2023 to 2026
$2.1M
LncRNA H19 in Cholestatic Liver DiseasesR56DK115377 · NIDDK · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · PI HYLEMON, PHILLIP B, ZHOU, HUIPING ROSE · 2023 to 2023
$630k
BLRD VA I01 BX005730BLRD VA IK6 BX004477BLRD VA IS1 BX004777BLRD VA IS1 BX005517NCI NIH HHS P01 CA275740NCI NIH HHS P30 CA016059NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA030180NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK117861NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK139587NIDDK NIH HHS R56 DK115377
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCholestatic liver diseases, including primary sclerosing cholangitis, are characterized by biliary fibroinflammation. TGFβ-activated cholangiocytes release signals that recruit immune cells and activate myofibroblasts, promoting inflammation and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. TGFβ also regulates stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), an enzyme involved in lipid signaling. Yet, the role of SCD or its inhibitor, Aramchol, in biliary fibroinflammation had not been studied. METHODS AND

resultsMdr2-/- with established biliary fibrosis and 3,5-diethoxycarboncyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) diet-fed mice were treated with Aramchol meglumine (12.5 mg/kg/day). Hepatic fibrosis was assessed by qPCR, Picrosirius red staining, immunofluorescence, and hydroxyproline content. Human H69 or murine large cholangiocyte cell lines stimulated with TGFβ, as well as PSC-derived cholangiocytes (PSC-C), were treated with Aramchol or SCD siRNA. RNA-seq, fibroinflammatory marker expression, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) activity, and targeted fatty acid profiling were performed. Aramchol treatment significantly reduced hepatic ECM gene expression, inflammatory cytokines (Il6,Tnfa), collagen content, and myofibroblast activation (aSMA staining) in both mouse models. In TGFβ-stimulated H69 cells, Aramchol suppressed hepatic fibrosis pathways and enhanced PPAR signaling. Aramchol also reduced the expression of fibrotic markers, myofibroblast-activating mediators (VEGFA and PDGFB), and IL6, mirroring the effects of SCD knockdown. In PSC-C, Aramchol significantly downregulated SCD, VEGFA and IL6. Conversely, PPARα and -γ activity and fatty acid agonist, linoleic acid levels were increased in cholangiocyte cell lines.

conclusionsAramchol attenuates and prevents biliary fibrosis in mouse models of cholestatic liver disease by inhibiting TGFβ-induced fibroinflammatory mediators and activating PPARa/γ in cholangiocytes. These findings, combined with its favorable clinical safety profile, support the potential of Aramchol as a therapeutic candidate for PSC.

Indexed as

Chenodeoxycholic AcidCholangitis, SclerosingLiver Cirrhosis, BiliaryTransforming Growth Factor betaAnimalsBile DuctsCell LineDisease Models, AnimalEpithelial CellsHumansInflammation MediatorsMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, KnockoutPyridines3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidineChenodeoxycholic AcidInflammation MediatorsPyridinesTransforming Growth Factor betaAramcholbiliary fibrosisPSCstearoyl-CoA desaturaseTGFβ

Identifiers

PMID40719557
PMCPMC12306705

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.