Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41308739›Full record

ArticleJournal of advanced research2026

Rhein alleviates acute pancreatitis by inhibiting TMAO-mediated inflammatory signaling pathways and reducing acinar cell injury.

Yunshu Zhang, Jifeng Liu, Xiaonan Zhang, Shan Cheng, Shuyuan Liu, Anliang Huang, Yanlong Yu, Jianjun Liu, Hailong Chen, Dong Shang and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of advanced research, 2026. 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. Review
  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

12 authors.

Yunshu ZhangClinical Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China; School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116044, China; Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China.
Jifeng LiuClinical Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China; Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China.
Xiaonan ZhangClinical Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China; School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116044, China.
Shan ChengClinical Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China; School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116044, China.
Shuyuan LiuClinical Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China; School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116044, China.
Anliang HuangClinical Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China; School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116044, China; Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China.
Yanlong YuSchool of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116044, China; Department of General Hepatobiliary Surgery, Chifeng City Hospital, Inner Mongolia 024000, China.
Jianjun LiuClinical Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China; Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China.
Hailong ChenClinical Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China; Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China.
Dong ShangClinical Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China; School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116044, China; Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China. Electronic address: shangdong@dmu.edu.cn.
Peiyuan YinClinical Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China; School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116044, China; Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China. Electronic address: yinpeiyuan@dmu.edu.cn.
Shurong MaClinical Key Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China; School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116044, China; Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116000, China. Electronic address: shurongma94@163.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAcute pancreatitis (AP) represents a significant global health challenge. Despite recent advances in medical treatment, the development of novel therapeutic strategies remains crucial.

objectivesRhein, a natural compound of the Chinese herb Rheum, shows promise in the treatment of AP. However, the exact mechanism underlying its therapeutic effect is still not fully understood.

methodsTo investigate the association between the rhein-related gut microbiota and AP, we conducted antibiotic-mediated microbiota depletion experiments, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and in vitro bacterial culture experiments. Concurrently, we performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing, metagenomic sequencing, and liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry (LC‒MS) analyses on mouse fecal samples to characterize alterations in the microbiota and metabolome. Transcriptomic studies were also performed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying acinar cell inflammation.

resultsRhein alleviated AP by modulating the gut microbiota, as demonstrated by changes in the gut microbiota composition and improvements in AP after FMT in rhein-treated mice compared with those in cerulein-induced AP mice. Specifically, rhein is concentrated mainly in the stomach and intestines, where it exerts anti-inflammatory effects on acinar cells by antagonizing the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway activated by trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). This mechanism is associated with lipid peroxidation and necrosis mediated by oxidative stress. Clinically, disease severity in patients with AP is positively correlated with serum TMAO concentration.

conclusionRhein alleviates AP by modulating the intestinal microbiota to reduce TMAO production, thereby suppressing TMAO-induced activation of the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway and inhibiting acinar cell inflammation.

Indexed as

Acinar CellsAnthraquinonesMethylaminesPancreatitisSignal TransductionAcute DiseaseAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalFecal Microbiota TransplantationGastrointestinal MicrobiomeInflammationMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLNF-kappa BAnthraquinonesMethylaminesNF-kappa BrheintrimethyloxamineAcinar injuryAcute pancreatitisMicrobial dysbiosisOxidative stressRheinTrimethylamine-N-oxide

Identifiers

PMID41308739
PMCPMC13453888

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.