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World J Hepatol. May 27, 2026; 18(5): 116712
Published online May 27, 2026. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v18.i5.116712
Published online May 27, 2026. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v18.i5.116712
Saikosaponin-d alleviates hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway and blocking the EMT process
Jing Li, Department of Nursing, The People’s Hospital of Yubei District of Chongqing, Chongqing 401120, China
Meng-Xing Cao, Jun-Min Wang, Yi-Yuan Zheng, Liu-Bing Lin, Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200071, China
Ren-Ye Que, Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200082, China
Co-first authors: Jing Li and Meng-Xing Cao.
Co-corresponding authors: Ren-Ye Que and Liu-Bing Lin.
Author contributions: Li J performed the research; Cao MX wrote this manuscript; Li J and Cao MX contributed equally to this manuscript as co-first authors; Wang JM and Zheng YY helped revise this manuscript; Que RY designed the research study; Lin LB provided financial support for this research; Que RY and Lin LB contributed equally to this manuscript as co-corresponding authors. All authors approved final revision of the paper.
AI contribution statement: AI tool was used solely for language editing and translation support. ChatGPT assisted in improving the clarity and grammar of the English text. The scientific content, data analysis, interpretation, and conclusions were developed entirely by the authors. The authors reviewed and approved all AI-assisted modifications and assume full responsibility for the final manuscript.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82304932; and Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Project of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, No. 2022QN051.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval No. 2024018).
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Ren-Ye Que, Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 230 Baoding Road, Shanghai 200082, China. 824492@qq.com
Received: November 19, 2025
Revised: December 17, 2025
Accepted: March 12, 2026
Published online: May 27, 2026
Processing time: 189 Days and 1.9 Hours
Revised: December 17, 2025
Accepted: March 12, 2026
Published online: May 27, 2026
Processing time: 189 Days and 1.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Saikosaponin-d (SSd) is a promising therapeutic agent and potential antifibrotic drug. This study, through in vivo and in vitro models, demonstrates that SSd alleviates hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis progression by inhibiting the transforming growth factor-β1/Smads signaling pathway and effectively blocking the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process. The study also addresses the reversibility and safety issues of SSd, proposing solutions. These findings enrich the understanding of SSd’s antifibrotic molecular mechanisms and provide a theoretical basis for drug optimization and improvement.