Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40764413›Full record

ArticleActa pharmacologica Sinica2026

Betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase protects against acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure via BACH1-SCD1-oleic acid axis.

Yu-Ting Zhang, Xiao-Ming Yang, Quan-Shan Jin, Jia-Yi Chen, Nan-Bin Zhu, Yi Ju, Zi-Yan Lin, Yang Zhi, Yi-Nuo Dong, Chun-Min Li and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Acta pharmacologica Sinica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury abrogates the cytosine methylation pathway.Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. 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

15 authors.

Yu-Ting Zhang *Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Xiao-Ming Yang *NHC Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China.
Quan-Shan Jin *Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Jia-Yi ChenDepartment of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Nan-Bin ZhuDepartment of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Yi JuDepartment of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Zi-Yan LinDepartment of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Yang ZhiDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases; Shanghai Research Center of Fatty Liver Disease, Shanghai, 200001, China.
Yi-Nuo DongDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases; Shanghai Research Center of Fatty Liver Disease, Shanghai, 200001, China.
Chun-Min LiDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China.
Yi-Min MaoDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; NHC Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases; Shanghai Research Center of Fatty Liver Disease, Shanghai, 200001, China.
Xiu-Ling ZhiDepartment of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Ming-Yang MaDepartment of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China. nkmmy@163.com.
Ya-Li XuDepartment of Pathology, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250022, China. skyelia@sina.com.
Xiao-Bo LiDepartment of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. xbli@fudan.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury (AILI) is a leading cause of acute liver failure, with limited preventive or therapeutic options. The role of betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT), a key enzyme in the methionine cycle, remains unclear. We found that BHMT, primarily expressed in hepatocytes, showed reduced expression in the liver but elevated serum levels in the APAP-induced liver injury (AILI) mouse model. GalNAc-mediated targeted knockdown of Bhmt in hepatocytes aggravated AILI in mice. Through RNA-seq screening, we found that Bhmt deficiency dramatically suppressed stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD1) expression. Knockdown of Scd1 also exacerbated AILI. Mechanistically, Bhmt knockdown decreased the DNA methylation of BACH1 (BTB and CNC homology 1), a transcriptional factor, leading to upregulated BACH1 expression in primary mouse hepatocytes (PMHs) treated with APAP. BACH1 then bound to the enhancer region of Scd1, transcriptionally repressing SCD1. Lipidomic analysis revealed that Bhmt or Scd1 deficiency reduced levels of intracellular unsaturated fatty acids, particularly oleic acid (OA), whereas SCD1 overexpression increased OA levels and decreased lipid peroxides. OA administration alleviated AILI and mitigated the hepatotoxicity associated with Bhmt or Scd1 knockdown. Our findings indicate that BHMT mitigates AILI via the BACH1-SCD1-OA axis, suggesting that BHMT could serve as a preventive target for AILI, while increasing OA intake may offer dietary benefits for patients.

Indexed as

AcetaminophenBasic-Leucine Zipper Transcription FactorsBetaine-Homocysteine S-MethyltransferaseChemical and Drug Induced Liver InjuryLiver Failure, AcuteOleic AcidStearoyl-CoA DesaturaseAnimalsHepatocytesHumansLiverMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLAcetaminophenBach1 protein, mouseBasic-Leucine Zipper Transcription FactorsBetaine-Homocysteine S-MethyltransferaseBhmt protein, mouseOleic AcidScd1 protein, mouseStearoyl-CoA Desaturaseacetaminophen-induced liver injurybetaine-homocysteine methyltransferaseoleic acidstearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1

Identifiers

PMID40764413
PMCPMC12764482

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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.