Study record
MOTS-c attenuates placental vascular endothelial cell apoptosis in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy by inhibiting K33-linked deubiquitination of BACH1
Li S, Ai L, Ge L et al. · Cell Commun Signal · 2026
What this study reported
Measured lower MOTS-c in maternal serum and placental tissue from patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. Reported that in cholic acid-exposed mice, administered MOTS-c was associated with more placental angiogenesis, less endothelial apoptosis and higher birth weight, placental efficiency and neonatal survival, and that MOTS-c bound BACH1 and promoted its K33-linked ubiquitination and degradation, with BACH1 overexpression abolishing the effect in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.
Limitations
Clinical sample sizes not reported in the abstract; a single chemically induced mouse model of cholestasis and one endothelial cell type; mechanism rests on overexpression rather than placental genetic deletion.
Study record
| Study model | Animal study (in vivo) |
|---|---|
| Substance studied | SeveralMore than one of these is central to the paper (common for reviews). |
| Species | human, mouse |
| System studied | Maternal serum and placental tissue from intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy; cholic acid-induced mouse model; taurocholic acid-exposed HUVECs |
| Population | pregnant women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and comparison samples |
| Design | Clinical sample measurement with controlled animal and cell experiments |
| Sample size as reported | not reported |
| Control group | untreated cholestatic mice and untreated exposed endothelial cells |
| Route (data field only) | Not reported |
| Endpoints measured | maternal serum and placental MOTS-c; placental angiogenesis; endothelial apoptosis and oxidative stress; BACH1 ubiquitination and SLC25A51 expression; offspring birth weight, placental efficiency and neonatal survival |
| Pathways measured | Apoptosis · Oxidative stress · Other |
| Research areas | Pregnancy · Liver · Cardiovascular · Mitochondrial biology |
| Evidence tier | C — Animal in vivo |
| Publication types | Journal Article |
Appraisal
Each dimension is recorded separately and never combined into a single score. A study can be well controlled and still tell you little about people.
- Relevance to MOTS-c
- Direct
- Model applicability
- Human
- Sample size
- Not reported
- Controls
- Appropriate
- Outcome validity
- Surrogate
- Support for its own conclusion
- Moderate
Provenance
- Bibliographic fields retrieved from PubMed E-utilities efetch (title, journal, date, authors, DOI) on 2026-11-11.
- Annotated from the published abstract.
- Editorial review: approved (2026-11-11).
- Classification follows the site methodology; the record describes the study, not what MOTS-c does in people.