Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41489183›Full record

ArticleJournal of gastroenterology and hepatology2026

The Spleen Promotes Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cell Angiogenesis by Stimulating the TGFβ/Smad2/3 Pathway Through GDF15.

Xi Deng, Na Huang, Ke Du, Hailong Zhang, Ziwei Du, Yudan Fan, Mengchen Zhu, Pengfei Liu, Yanhua Mu, Zongfang Li

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology, 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

10 authors.

Xi DengNational & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1938-7674
Na HuangNational & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Ke DuNational & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Hailong ZhangNational & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Ziwei DuNational & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Yudan FanNational & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Mengchen ZhuNational & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Pengfei LiuNational & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Yanhua MuNational & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Zongfang LiNational & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4813-1176

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82173207National Natural Science Foundation of China 91842307Natural Science Foundation Program of Shaanxi Province of China 2023-JC-QN-0942Natural Science Foundation Program of Shaanxi Province of China 2023-JC-YB-647Research Fund of Xi'an Jiaotong University YXJLRH2022098
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsLiver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are crucial nonparenchymal cells involved in liver fibrosis progression. Liver fibrosis develops from various chronic liver diseases, with pathological progression associated with the spleen. However, the precise mechanism by which the spleen influences LSECs during fibrosis is not fully understood. This study investigated the spleen's effect on LSEC angiogenesis and its underlying mechanisms using animal and cellular experiments.

methodsSplenectomy or sham operations were performed on carbon tetrachloride (CCl

resultsThe spleen promoted LSEC angiogenesis in fibrotic mice. Compared to peripheral serum, spleen serum from cirrhotic patients significantly enhanced LSEC proliferation, migration, and tubule formation. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) was elevated in spleen serum and promoted LSEC angiogenesis. In vitro, GDF15 induced Smad2/3 phosphorylation in LSECs. Furthermore, inhibition of Smad3 phosphorylation attenuated the pro-angiogenic effects of spleen serum or GDF15 on LSECs.

conclusionThe spleen promotes LSEC angiogenesis by activating the TGFβ/Smad2/3 pathway through GDF15 in serum.

Indexed as

Endothelial CellsGrowth Differentiation Factor 15LiverLiver CirrhosisNeovascularization, PathologicSignal TransductionSmad2 ProteinSmad3 ProteinSpleenTransforming Growth Factor betaAngiogenesisAnimalsCell MovementCell ProliferationCells, CulturedDisease Models, AnimalGrowth Differentiation Factor 15Smad2 ProteinSMAD2 protein, humanSmad2 protein, mouseSmad3 ProteinSMAD3 protein, humanSmad3 protein, mouseTransforming Growth Factor betaangiogenesisGDF15liver fibrosisliver sinusoidal endothelial cellsspleen

Identifiers

PMID41489183
PMCPMC12887615

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.