Evidence mapPaperPMID 40844746Full record

ArticleCardiovascular drugs and therapy2026

Crocetin Attenuates Fibroblast-to-Myofibroblast Transition after Myocardial Infarction in Mice by Regulating Autophagy.

Ruhui Yang, Zhengyi Guo, Haili Jin, Chunli Liu, Jia Shuo Zhao, Bingjin Liu, Liping Zhou, Yinxiu Jin, Yinping Wang, Meifen Li and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cardiovascular drugs and therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

11 authors.

Ruhui YangSchool of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Taizhou Vocational and Technical College, No.788 Xueyuan Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, P. R. China. yangruhui2008@tzvtc.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0002-6985-144X
Zhengyi GuoMedical Image Center, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, 271000, P. R. China.
Haili JinPathology Department, Taizhou Enze Medical Center (Group) Enze Hospital, Taizhou, 318000, P. R. China.
Chunli LiuGynecology Department, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, 271000, P. R. China.
Jia Shuo ZhaoSchool of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Taizhou Vocational and Technical College, No.788 Xueyuan Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, P. R. China.
Bingjin LiuSchool of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Taizhou Vocational and Technical College, No.788 Xueyuan Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, P. R. China.
Liping ZhouSchool of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Taizhou Vocational and Technical College, No.788 Xueyuan Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, P. R. China.
Yinxiu JinSchool of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Taizhou Vocational and Technical College, No.788 Xueyuan Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, P. R. China.
Yinping WangSchool of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Taizhou Vocational and Technical College, No.788 Xueyuan Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, P. R. China.
Meifen LiSchool of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Taizhou Vocational and Technical College, No.788 Xueyuan Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, 318000, P. R. China.
Songquan WuDepartment of Immunology, Lishui University School of Medicine, No. 1 Xueyuan Road, Liandu District, Lishui, 323000, P. R. China. wsq@lsu.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0002-8570-6912

Funding

Fundação de Apoio a Serviços Técnicos, Ensino e Fomento a Pesquisas 2022BSZX02Science and Technology Innovation Project of Students of Taizhou Vocational and Technical College 2024DKC01Zhejiang University Student Science and Technology Innovation Activity Plan 2024R485A001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeMyocardial infarction (MI) triggers pathological remodeling characterized by fibrosis and subsequent fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT). Autophagy exerts a dual role in cardiac repair, balancing protective and detrimental effects. Crocetin, a carotenoid derived from saffron, exhibits anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties; however, its influence on autophagy-related FMT following MI remains unclear.This study aims to determine whether crocetin mitigates post-MI fibrosis and FMT by modulating autophagy in cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), while also evaluating its effects on cardiac function, infarct size, and autophagic flux.

methodsIn vivo: Mice subjected to MI were administered crocetin (25-100 mg/kg). Cardiac function was assessed via echocardiography, and fibrosis was evaluated through Masson's trichrome staining and immunofluorescence analysis for α-SMA/LC3. In vitro: Hypoxic CFs were treated with crocetin or the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA). The effects on autophagic flux (GFP-RFP-LC3), protein expression (Beclin-1, LC3-II/I, P62), and mitochondrial membrane potential (JC-1) were analyzed.

resultsCrocetin enhanced cardiac function, and reduced infarct size and fibrosis in a dose-dependent manner, while suppressing α-SMA expression. It promoted autophagic flux (as evidenced by increased LC3-II levels and autolysosome formation) and mitophagy (indicated by decreased mitochondrial membrane potential). Treatment with 3-MA negated the antifibrotic effects of crocetin.

conclusionCrocetin attenuates post-MI pathological remodeling by enhancing autophagic flux to inhibit FMT, thereby identifying it as a promising candidate for antifibrotic therapy.

Indexed as

AutophagyCarotenoidsFibroblastsMyocardial InfarctionMyocardiumMyofibroblastsVentricular RemodelingAnimalsCells, CulturedDisease Models, AnimalFibrosisMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLSignal TransductionVentricular Function, LeftCarotenoidstrans-sodium crocetinateVitamin AAutophagyCrocetinFibroblast-to-Myofibroblast TransitionMyocardial Infarction

Identifiers

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.