Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41309549›Full record

ArticleSignal transduction and targeted therapy2025

Pulsed electromagnetic fields inhibit atherosclerosis by regulating pyroptosis through membrane tension-mediated mechanosensitive channels.

Hongxin Cheng, Qing Zhang, Wen Zhong, Hanbin Li, Lu Wang, Shiqi Wang, Chengqi He, Chenying Fu, Quan Wei

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 2025. 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. Review
  2. Review
  3. 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.

Hongxin Cheng *Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Qing Zhang *Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Wen ZhongDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Hanbin LiDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Lu WangDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Shiqi WangDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6901-3166
Chengqi HeDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Chenying FuState Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. fcying_2004@163.com.
Quan WeiDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center and Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. weiquan@scu.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0002-0541-905X

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82172534National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82202792National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82202793National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82372574
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Atherosclerosis serves as the core pathological basis of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and peripheral arterial diseases, posing a serious threat to human health. However, current mainstream treatments such as statin drugs and stent implantation are associated with significant side effects or limited efficacy, highlighting the urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs), due to their noninvasive nature and anti-inflammatory properties, show potential in the treatment of atherosclerosis. This study utilized ApoE-/- mice, ApoE-/-NLRP3-/- knockout mice, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs), and human plasma samples for experiments, revealing significant endothelial cell (EC) inflammation and pyroptosis during the progression of atherosclerosis. PEMFs were found to effectively inhibit the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, reduce plaque formation, and delay the progression of atherosclerosis. Proteomic analysis of plasma from atherosclerosis patients further indicated elevated expression levels of proteins related to inflammation and pyroptosis, with particularly notable changes in membrane proteins. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that PEMFs improve mitochondrial dysfunction in ECs by regulating membrane tension and the mechanosensitive tension-mediated transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channels, thereby reducing pyroptosis. This discovery not only reveals a novel mechanobiological pathway but also provides a solid theoretical foundation for the development of PEMF-based therapies for atherosclerosis. Schematic diagram of the mechanism by which PEMFs treat atherosclerosis (created in BioRender). Wei, B. (2025) https://BioRender.com/undefined ).

Indexed as

AtherosclerosisElectromagnetic FieldsPyroptosisTRPV Cation ChannelsAnimalsApolipoproteins EHumansHuman Umbilical Vein Endothelial CellsInflammasomesMaleMechanotransduction, CellularMiceMice, KnockoutNLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 ProteinApolipoproteins EInflammasomesNLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 ProteinNLRP3 protein, humanTrpv4 protein, mouseTRPV Cation Channels

Identifiers

PMID41309549
PMCPMC12660931

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.