Evidence mapPaperPMID 41546802Full record

ArticleCell biology and toxicology2026

Targeting SPHK1 by 8-HETrE attenuates MASH-Driven fibrosis via restoration of hepatic stellate cell mitochondrial dynamics.

Shuling Chen, Jiayan Li, Kan Xu, Junyi Wen, Feng Zhang, Yuzheng Zhuge, Lei Wang, Yongxiang Yi, Hao Zhang, Wei Zhang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell biology and toxicology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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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.

Shuling Chen *Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, 321# Zhongyang Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210003, China.
Jiayan Li *Clinical Research Center, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210000, China.
Kan XuDepartment of Infectious Disease and Liver Disease, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210000, China.
Junyi WenDepartment of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, 321# Zhongyang Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210003, China.
Feng ZhangDepartment of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, 321# Zhongyang Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210003, China.
Yuzheng ZhugeDepartment of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, 321# Zhongyang Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210003, China.
Lei WangDepartment of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, 321# Zhongyang Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210003, China.
Yongxiang YiDepartment of Infectious Disease and Liver Disease, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210000, China.
Hao ZhangDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, 321# Zhongyang Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210003, China. zhnjglyy@163.com.
Wei ZhangDepartment of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, 321# Zhongyang Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210003, China. kimmysai@126.com.

Funding

Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province BK20240231
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) drives hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and extracellular matrix deposition, leading to liver fibrosis, for which effective treatments remain lacking. Here, we report that 8-hydroxyoctacosatrienoic acid (8-HETrE), an arachidonic acid metabolite generated through cytochrome P450 or lipoxygenase pathways, significantly ameliorates MASH-related fibrosis by targeting sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) and restoring mitochondrial function. Clinical observations revealed markedly reduced circulating 8-HETrE levels in patients with MASH fibrosis. In vivo studies demonstrated that 8-HETrE administration improved liver function, enhanced expression of mitochondrial fusion proteins (Mfn1, Mfn2, Opa1), and attenuated fibrosis in Gubra-Amylin-NASH (GAN)-diet-induced MASH models. In TGF-β1-activated human HSCs cell line (LX-2 cells), 8-HETrE treatment suppressed fibrotic markers (α-SMA, COL1A1) and improved mitochondrial dynamics. Mechanistic investigations revealed that 8-HETrE exerted its anti-fibrotic effects primarily through SPHK1 inhibition: SPHK1 knockdown moderately reduced HSC activation, decreased sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), lactate, and nitrite levels, enhanced glucose uptake, and promoted mitochondrial fusion, while completely abolishing 8-HETrE's therapeutic effects. Conversely, SPHK1 overexpression exacerbated fibrotic and metabolic abnormalities, which were effectively reversed by 8-HETrE treatment. Critically, HSC-specific Sphk1 knockout independently improved MASH fibrosis, mitochondrial function, and metabolic parameters, while completely blocking 8-HETrE's benefits. Our findings identify 8-HETrE as a novel mediator that targets the SPHK1-mitochondrial dynamics axis in HSCs, providing both mechanistic insights and therapeutic potential for MASH-related fibrosis treatment.

Indexed as

8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic AcidHepatic Stellate CellsLiver CirrhosisMitochondrial DynamicsPhosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor)AnimalsCell LineHumansMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMitochondriaSphingosine Kinase8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic AcidPhosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor)Sphingosine KinaseSphk1 protein, mouse8-HETrEHepatic stellate cellsMASH-driven fibrosisMitochondrial dynamicsSPHK1

Identifiers

PMID41546802
PMCPMC12835092

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.