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 D, Jia X, Li H, Zhang J · 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

ShowHide

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

These fields were extracted from the paper with AI assistance and have not been checked against the source. Read them as a pointer into the paper, not as curated claims; where they disagree with the curated summary above, the curated summary stands.

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

Links in the pathway map

Supports AMPK activates Mitophagy

Cite this paper

ShowHide

Zhu, L., Wan, C., Li, Z., Fan, X., Liu, D., Jia, X., Li, H., & Zhang, J. (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, D. and Jia, X. and Li, H. and Zhang, J.},
  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}
}

Was this page useful?