The natural product-derived JM-9 alleviates high-fat diet-induced fatty liver in mice by targeting MD2
Abstract
Background Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is gradually emerging as one of the most prevalent liver diseases worldwide. Previous research demonstrated the involvement of myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2), a co-receptor of TLR4, as a key mediator in MASLD pathogenesis. The current study identifies JM-9 as a novel MD2 inhibitor, and focuses on evaluating its potential therapeutic effects in mitigating MASLD progression. Methods Drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) assay and surface plasmon resonance assay were utilized to evaluate the MD2-targeting specificity of JM-9. In vitro, hepatocytes and macrophages were stimulated with palmitic acid (PA) followed by JM-9 treatment. In vivo, a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced MASLD model was established and subjected to JM-9 administration during the last 2 months. Results JM-9 directly bound the Phe76 residue of MD2 to disrupt the PA-induced MD2/TLR4 complex formation, thus further restoring AMPK phosphorylation and inhibiting NF-κB activation to reducing lipid accumulation and inflammation, respectively. In the HFD-mediated MASLD mouse model, JM-9 alleviated the binding between MD2 and TLR4 in the liver and counteracted hepatic TBK1 and p65 activation and AMPK suppression, thereby mitigating liver inflammation, steatosis, and fibrosis. Conclusion JM-9, as a novel MD2 inhibitor, holds potential as a viable treatment option for MASLD by playing a dual role in regulating both lipid metabolism and inflammation response.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
AMPK activation suppresses mTOR and NF-κB signaling while promoting mitochondrial biogenesis via PGC-1α, mechanisms collectively associated with restorative macrophage polarization.
“Its activation suppresses mTOR and NF-κB signaling while promoting mitochondrial biogenesis via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), mechanisms collectively associated with restorative macrophage polarization (34, 37).”
From Strategies to promote liver fibrosis amelioration with involvement of restorative macrophages (2026) · cites this paper as [37]
Cites
Byrne, C. D., & Targher, G. (2015) · Journal of Hepatology · doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2014.12.012 · Cited by 3,082 · see citing works
Mechanisms of Insulin Action and Insulin Resistance
Petersen, M. C., & Shulman, G. I. (2018) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.00063.2017 · Cited by 3,028 · see citing works
Pawlak, M., Lefebvre, P., & Staels, B. (2015) · Journal of Hepatology · doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2014.10.039 · Cited by 1,578 · see citing works
The pathogenesis of insulin resistance: integrating signaling pathways and substrate flux
Samuel, V. T., & Shulman, G. I. (2016) · Journal of Clinical Investigation · doi:10.1172/jci77812 · Cited by 1,484 · see citing works
PPAR control of metabolism and cardiovascular functions
Montaigne, D., Butruille, L., & Staels, B. (2021) · Nature Reviews Cardiology · doi:10.1038/s41569-021-00569-6 · Cited by 960 · see citing works
Advancing the global public health agenda for NAFLD: a consensus statement
Lazarus, J. V., Mark, H. E., Anstee, Q. M., Arab, J. P., Batterham, R. L., Castera, L., Cortez-Pinto, H., Crespo, J., Cusi, K., Dirac, M. A., et al. (2022) · Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology · doi:10.1038/s41575-021-00523-4 · Cited by 757 · see citing works
The role of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPAR) in immune responses
Christofides, A., Konstantinidou, E., Jani, C., & Boussiotis, V. (2020) · Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental · doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2020.154338 · Cited by 654 · see citing works
Fujihara, M., Muroi, M., Tanamoto, K., Suzuki, T., Azuma, H., & Ikeda, H. (2003) · Pharmacology & Therapeutics · doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2003.08.003 · Cited by 573 · see citing works
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: the interplay between metabolism, microbes and immunity
Tilg, H., Adolph, T., Dudek, M., & Knolle, P. (2021) · Nature Metabolism · doi:10.1038/s42255-021-00501-9 · Cited by 495 · see citing works
NAFLD: Mechanisms, Treatments, and Biomarkers
Nassir, F. (2022) · Biomolecules · doi:10.3390/biom12060824 · Cited by 422 · see citing works
Luo, R., Su, L.-Y., Li, G., Yang, J., Liu, Q., Yang, L.-X., Zhang, D.-F., Zhou, H., Xu, M., Fan, Y., et al. (2020) · Autophagy · doi:10.1080/15548627.2019.1596488 · Cited by 364 · see citing works
Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) inhibitors: Current research and prospective
Zhang, Y.-S., Liang, X., Bao, X., Xiao, W., & Chen, G. (2022) · European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry · doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114291 · Cited by 306 · see citing works
Wang, Y., Qian, Y., Fang, Q., Zhong, P., Li, W., Wang, L., Fu, W., Zhang, Y., Xu, Z., Li, X., et al. (2017) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/ncomms13997 · Cited by 267 · see citing works
Self-citationMechanisms of muscle insulin resistance and the cross‐talk with liver and adipose tissue
Rosa, S. C. D. S., Nayak, N., Caymo, A. M., & Gordon, J. W. (2020) · Physiological Reports · doi:10.14814/phy2.14607 · Cited by 251 · see citing works
Natural history of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
Lekakis, V., & Papatheodoridis, G. (2023) · European Journal of Internal Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ejim.2023.11.005 · Cited by 243 · see citing works
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Focus on Lipoprotein and Lipid Deregulation
Tacer, K. F., & Rozman, D. (2011) · Journal of Lipids · doi:10.1155/2011/783976 · Cited by 232 · see citing works
Csák, T., Velayudham, A., Hritz, I., Petrášek, J., Levin, I., Lippai, D., Catalano, D. E., Mandrekar, P., Dolganiuc, A., Kurt‐Jones, E. A., et al. (2011) · American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology · doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00163.2009 · Cited by 229 · see citing works
The role of hepatic fat accumulation in pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Liu, Q., Bengmark, S., & Qu, S. (2010) · Lipids in Health and Disease · doi:10.1186/1476-511x-9-42 · Cited by 227 · see citing works
O’Connell, T. D., Jensen, B. C., Baker, A. J., & Simpson, P. C. (2013) · Pharmacological Reviews · doi:10.1124/pr.112.007203 · Cited by 205 · see citing works
Muscle and adipose tissue insulin resistance: malady without mechanism?
Fazakerley, D. J., Krycer, J. R., Kearney, A. L., HOCKING, S. L., & James, D. E. (2018) · Journal of Lipid Research · doi:10.1194/jlr.r087510 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
Chandra, S., Roy, A., Jana, M., & Pahan, K. (2018) · Neurobiology of Disease · doi:10.1016/j.nbd.2018.12.007 · Cited by 149 · see citing works
MD2 activation by direct AGE interaction drives inflammatory diabetic cardiomyopathy
Wang, Y., Luo, W., Han, J., Khan, Z. A., Fang, Q., Jin, Y., Chen, X., Zhang, Y., Wang, M., Qian, J., et al. (2020) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15978-3 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
Self-citationXie, S., Liu, S., Zhang, T., Shi, W., Xing, Y., Fang, W., Zhang, M., Chen, M.-Y., Xu, S., Fan, M.-Q., et al. (2023) · Circulation · doi:10.1161/circulationaha.123.065603 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
(2024) · Advances in engineering research/Advances in Engineering Research · doi:10.2991/978-94-6463-556-0 · Cited by 131 · see citing works
Tyrosine kinase SYK is a potential therapeutic target for liver fibrosis
Qu, C., Zheng, D., Li, S., Liu, Y., Lidofsky, A., Holmes, J. A., Chen, J., He, L., Wei, L., Liao, Y., et al. (2018) · Hepatology · doi:10.1002/hep.29881 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Disulfiram blocks inflammatory TLR4 signaling by targeting MD-2
Bai, Y., Min, R., Chen, P., Mei, S., Deng, F., Zheng, Z., Jiang, C., Miao, R., Wu, Z., Zhang, P., et al. (2023) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2306399120 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Inhibition of myeloid differentiation factor 2 by baicalein protects against acute lung injury
Chen, H., Zhang, Y., Zhang, W., Liu, H., Sun, C., Zhang, B., Bai, B., Wu, D., Xiao, Z., Lum, H., et al. (2019) · Phytomedicine · doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2019.152997 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Self-citationMeyer, M., Schwärzler, J., Jukic, A., & Tilg, H. (2024) · Biomolecules · doi:10.3390/biom14040476 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Chen, S., Chen, J., Li, S., Guo, F., Li, A., Wu, H., Chen, J., Pan, Q., Liao, S., Liu, J., et al. (2021) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.786599 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Heilmann, R. M., & Allenspach, K. (2017) · Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation · doi:10.1177/1040638717728545 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Zhu, W., Wang, M., Jin, L., Yang, B., Bai, B., Mutsinze, R. N., Zuo, W., Chattipakorn, N., Huh, J. Y., Liang, G., et al. (2022) · British Journal of Pharmacology · doi:10.1111/bph.15999 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Self-citationZhang, Y., Wu, B., Zhang, H., Ge, X., Ying, S., Hu, M., Li, W., Huang, Y., Wang, L., Chen, C., et al. (2017) · Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine · doi:10.1111/jcmm.13395 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Self-citationLuo, W., Lin, Y., Hu, X., Wang, M., Wang, M., Jin, L., Xiao, Z., Qian, J., Wang, Y., Zuo, W., et al. (2022) · Clinical and Translational Medicine · doi:10.1002/ctm2.777 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Self-citationFang, Q., Wang, J., Zhang, Y., Wang, L., Li, W., Han, J., Huang, W., Liang, G., & Wang, Y. (2017) · Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease · doi:10.1016/j.bbadis.2017.09.026 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Self-citationMolagoda, I. M. N., Karunarathne, W. A. H. M., Lee, M., Kang, C.-H., Lee, K. T., Choi, Y. H., Lee, S., & Kim, G. (2022) · International Immunopharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109344 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Wang, M., Zhang, Q., Lou, S., Jin, L., Wu, G., Wu, W., Tang, Q., Wang, Y., Long, X., Huang, P. C., et al. (2023) · Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy · doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115660 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Self-citationVeenstra, D. M. J., Buuren, K. J. H. V., & Nijkamp, F. P. (1992) · British Journal of Pharmacology · doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.1992.tb14487.x · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Novel O-benzylcinnamic acid derivative L26 treats acute lung injury in mice by MD-2
Li, X., Yin, L., Liao, J., Yang, J., Cai, B., Yu, Y., Su, S., Du, Z., Li, X., Zhou, Y., et al. (2023) · European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry · doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115289 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Self-citationBlocking α1 Adrenergic Receptor as a Novel Target for Treating Alzheimer’s Disease
Pan, X., Lei, Z., Chen, J., Jia, C., Deng, J., Liu, Y., Luo, X., Wang, L., Zi, D., Wang, Z., et al. (2024) · ACS Chemical Neuroscience · doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00411 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Zhang, Q., Zhu, W., Lou, S., Bao, H., Zhou, Y., Cai, Z., Ye, J., Cui, Y., Wang, M., Jin, L., et al. (2023) · International Immunopharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110863 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
3 of the 43 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Strategies to promote liver fibrosis amelioration with involvement of restorative macrophages
Aquino, J. B. (2026) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2026.1792423 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Finally, some studies analyzed the effect of inhibiting or deleting pattern recognition molecules and innate immune sensors including high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) (108), myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2) (37), and stimulator of interferon genes (STING/TMEM173), which is also elevated in MASLD patients ) (109…”
- Authors
- Jin, L., Cui, Y., Zhang, Q., Xiong, Y., Zheng, X., Ye, J., Zhang, A., Xiao, Z., Zhuang, Z., Liang, G., Hu, X., Luo, W., & Zhu, W.
- Affiliations
- Wenzhou Medical University (CN)
- First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Hu, Xiang
- Luo, Wu
- Zhu, Weiwei
- Venue
- International Immunopharmacology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2025-02
- Volume
- 148
- Pages
- 114053
- ISSN
- 1567-5769 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4406554060
- Cited by
- 1
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1
- FWCI
- 0.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- International Immunopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
- Zhejiang Province Natural Science Foundation
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver physiology and pathology
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune Response and Inflammation
- Keywords
- MD-2, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatic steatosis, TLR4, AMPK, NF-κB, TBK1, palmitic acid, liver inflammation, liver fibrosis, natural products
- MeSH terms
- RAW 264.7 Cells, Animals, Biological Products, Disease Models, Animal, Fatty Liver, Humans, Liver, Macrophages, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, NF-kappa B, Palmitic Acid, Hepatocytes, Chalcones, Toll-Like Receptor 4, Lymphocyte Antigen 96, Mice, Diet, High-Fat, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review