Dr. Axe Wire · Food, herbs & supplements · health

PQQ Eases Pesticide-Linked Liver Scarring in Mice Study

A nutrient compound dulled key scarring signals in mice exposed to a common pesticide, a new lab study found.

By Dr. Axe Editorial Team · October 22, 2026 · 1 source · Watch

A study published October 14, 2026, in Food & Function found that pyrroloquinoline quinone, known as PQQ, reduced liver scarring signals triggered by the pesticide cypermethrin in mice.

Researchers exposed mice to cypermethrin, a widely used pyrethroid insecticide linked to liver damage in prior work, then treated them with PQQ, a redox-active compound studied for antioxidant and cell-protective effects. Western blot testing, a lab method that measures specific proteins, showed cypermethrin exposure raised TGF-β1, a signaling protein that triggers scar tissue formation, and increased activation of p38 MAPK, a stress-response protein inside cells. PQQ treatment was associated with reductions in both. PQQ also lowered expression of GLS1, an enzyme involved in cell metabolism, alongside drops in two markers of hepatic stellate cell activation, the liver cells responsible for producing scar tissue: alpha-SMA and COL1A1. Sample size was not reported.

The authors report that pharmacological inhibition of GLS1 and changes in intracellular alpha-ketoglutarate, a metabolic byproduct, further supported GLS1's involvement in activating these scar-forming liver cells after cypermethrin exposure. In plain terms, the pesticide was linked to a shift in liver cell metabolism alongside scar tissue buildup in this model, and PQQ was associated with interrupting that pattern. The authors state plainly that the causal relationships among these signaling and metabolic changes still need to be established.

These findings support the involvement of GLS1-associated metabolic regulation in CYP-induced HSC activation and the effects of PQQ

Study authorsFood & Function, 2026

This is a mouse study using lab tissue markers as stand-ins for liver damage, not a measure of liver function or disease outcome, and the paper did not report how many animals were used. Whether PQQ affects pesticide-related liver stress in humans was not tested here.

Dr. Axe’s Take

A mouse model found that a common pesticide was tied to a liver-cell metabolic shift that fed scar tissue buildup, and PQQ interrupted that pattern. I would not wait on human trials to act on the exposure side of this. Choosing organic produce when practical, filtering drinking water, and supporting liver detox pathways with cruciferous vegetables, bitter greens and enough protein for glutathione production are sensible steps now. PQQ-rich foods, including natto, green tea and parsley, are reasonable additions to a liver-supportive diet while researchers work out whether this mechanism holds up in humans.

— Dr. Axe

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Story summary

Who: Mice exposed to the pesticide cypermethrin; sample size not reported
Design: Animal study testing PQQ treatment against cypermethrin-induced liver fibrosis, with Western blot protein analysis
Dose: Not reported
Primary result: PQQ treatment was associated with reduced TGF-β1 expression and p38 MAPK phosphorylation versus cypermethrin exposure alone
Secondary: PQQ lowered GLS1 expression alongside reduced alpha-SMA and COL1A1, markers of liver scar-cell activation; GLS1 inhibition and altered alpha-ketoglutarate levels supported the pathway's role
Funding / conflicts: Funders listed in the journal record: National Natural Science Foundation of China; Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia. Conflicts not reported in the abstract.
Date: Oct 14, 2026