Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40775284›Full record

ArticleMolecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)2025

Isoimperatorin, a natural furanocoumarin, ameliorates ulcerative colitis by inducing Treg cell generation and promoting mucosal healing.

Yulai Fang, Shichen Min, Hongxin Chen, Zhenxing Zhu, Yanan Li, Yiheng Tong, Jingyi Hu, Lei Zhu, Hong Shen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.), 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. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  2. 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

9 authors.

Yulai FangAffiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Shichen MinAffiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Hongxin ChenAffiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Zhenxing ZhuAffiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Yanan LiAffiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Yiheng TongAffiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Jingyi HuAffiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Lei ZhuAffiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China. zhulei5100@njucm.edu.cn.
Hong ShenAffiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China. Shenhong999@njucm.edu.cn.

Funding

Construction of high-level key disciplines of Traditional Chinese medicine National TCM Human Education Letter [2023] No. 85Jiangsu Province Graduate Student Research and Practice Innovation Program KYCX24_2235Jiangsu Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Digestive Medicine Innovation Center Su Health Science and Education Letter [2022] No. 15Nanjing Postdoctoral Research Grant Ning Human Resources Letter [2024] No. 148Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province BK20230747Young Talent Program of Jiangsu Provincial Administration of Chinese Medicine QN202106
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUlcerative colitis (UC), an autoimmune disorder characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation, primarily targets the colonic mucosa. Isoimperatorin is a natural furanocoumarin compound with a variety of pharmacological activities. However, its therapeutic potential and underlying mechanisms in UC pathogenesis remain to be elucidated.

methodsMice were administered 2.5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) ad libitum to construct a colitis model, and isoimperatorin was given by gavage to evaluate its efficacy. Flow cytometry and qPCR were employed to assess the effect of isoimperatorin on Treg cell generation. Tissue immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to investigate the effects of isoimperatorin on the repair of damaged intestinal barrier. Cell scratching and migration were used to examine the effects of isoimperatorin on wound healing and cell migration. Finally, a Treg cell depletion assay was implemented to verify the Treg cell-dependent effect of isoimperatorin on repairing intestinal barrier injury to ameliorate UC.

resultsOral gavage administration of isoimperatorin (20, 40 mg/kg) significantly improved disease symptoms in UC mice. Isoimperatorin treatment elevated the percentage of Treg cells but had no significant effect on the proportion of Th17 cells in mesenteric lymph node tissues. Isoimperatorin upregulated the expression levels of factors related to mucosal healing and upregulated the expression levels of proteins related to the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier. Additionally, isoimperatorin (1, 3 µM) accelerated the migration of colon epithelial cells to facilitate wound healing and also induced the generation of Treg cells in vitro. Finally, Treg cell depletion markedly attenuated isoimperatorin's therapeutic efficacy in intestinal barrier repair and UC amelioration, indicating a Treg cell-dependent mechanism of action.

conclusionsIsoimperatorin promotes intestinal mucosal healing and thus improves UC disease symptoms by inducing Treg cell generation.

Indexed as

Colitis, UlcerativeFurocoumarinsIntestinal MucosaT-Lymphocytes, RegulatoryWound HealingAnimalsCell MovementDextran SulfateDisease Models, AnimalHumansMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLDextran SulfateFurocoumarinsEpithelial cell migrationIsoimperatorinMucosal healingTreg cell generationUlcerative colitis

Identifiers

PMID40775284
PMCPMC12330085

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.