LKB1/AMPK deficiency aggravates mitochondrial DNA leakage via mTOR-dependent mitophagy damage in liver injury sensitized by trichloroethylene.

Zhu L, Wan C, Li Z, Fan X, Liu Z · 2026 · Chemico-Biological Interactions · Atlas ID ZHU2026

What this study shows

LKB1/AMPK deficiency exacerbates trichloroethylene-induced liver injury by impairing mTOR-regulated mitophagy and causing mitochondrial DNA leakage; rapamycin and AMPK activation are protective, nominating the LKB1/AMPK/mTOR axis as a candidate therapeutic target in mice; no human data.

Abstract

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In a TCE-sensitized mouse liver injury model, LKB1/AMPK deficiency aggravated mTOR-dependent impairment of mitophagy, causing mitochondrial DNA leakage and exacerbated immune-mediated liver damage. Rapamycin treatment, LKB1 overexpression, and AICAR (AMPK activator) each rescued mitophagy and reduced liver injury.

Read the full abstract on PubMed →

At a glance

Evidence type	A Animal model Marked A because it is an animal intervention or observation study measuring an organismal outcome (model: Mouse); the code names the system studied -- animal work can be rigorous and still not be human data.
Study type	4 - Animal Study
Model system	Mouse
Journal	Chemico-Biological Interactions
Year	2026
Peer reviewed	Yes
Record last updated	2026-07-29
Source	DOI 10.1016/j.cbi.2026.112261 · PMID 42462870

Extracted findings

Intervention	Rapamycin; AICAR; LKB1 overexpression
Target	LKB1/AMPK/mTOR axis; mitophagy
Model	Mouse
Effect	Rapamycin and AMPK activation restore mTOR-dependent mitophagy; LKB1/AMPK deficiency worsens mitochondrial DNA leakage and liver injury

In the Atlas

Cite this paper

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Zhu, L., Wan, C., Li, Z., Fan, X., & Liu, Z. (2026). LKB1/AMPK deficiency aggravates mitochondrial DNA leakage via mTOR-dependent mitophagy damage in liver injury sensitized by trichloroethylene. Chemico-Biological Interactions. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2026.112261

@article{ZHU2026,
  author       = {Zhu, L. and Wan, C. and Li, Z. and Fan, X. and Liu, Z.},
  title        = {{LKB1/AMPK deficiency aggravates mitochondrial DNA leakage via mTOR-dependent mitophagy damage in liver injury sensitized by trichloroethylene}},
  journal      = {Chemico-Biological Interactions},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.cbi.2026.112261},
  note         = {PMID: 42462870},
}

Cite this Atlas record

The record is the Atlas's own work — the evidence label, the extracted findings and the links. It is cited as part of the dataset, not as the paper.

Barton, O. (2026). Oliver's mTOR Atlas (record ZHU2026) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/ZHU2026/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_ZHU2026,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record ZHU2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/ZHU2026/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}