Effects of Fuzhenghuayu decoction on collagen synthesis of cultured hepatic stellate cells, hepatocytes and fibroblasts in rats

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Relaxin inhibits effective collagen deposition by cultured hepatic stellate cells and decreases rat liver fibrosis in vivo

BACKGROUND: Following liver injury, hepatic stellate cells (HSC) transform into myofibroblast-like cells (activation) and are the major source of type I collagen and the potent collagenase inhibitors tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases 1 and 2 (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) in the fibrotic liver. The reproductive hormone relaxin has been reported to reduce collagen and TIMP-1 expression by dermal and lung fibroblasts and thus has potential antifibrotic activity in liver fibrosis. AIMS: To determine the effects of relaxin on activated HSC. METHODS: Following isolation, HSC were activated by culture on plastic and exposed to relaxin (1-100 ng/ml). Collagen deposition was determined by Sirius red dye binding and radiolabelled proline incorporation. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and TIMP expression were assessed by zymography and northern analysis. Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) mRNA and protein levels were quantified by northern analysis and ELISA, respectively. RESULTS: Exposure of activated HSC to relaxin resulted in a concentration dependent decrease in both collagen synthesis and deposition. There was a parallel decrease in TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 secretion into the HSC conditioned media but no change in gelatinase expression was observed. Northern analysis demonstrated that primary HSC, continuously exposed to relaxin, had decreased TIMP-1 mRNA expression but unaltered type I collagen, collagenase (MMP-13), alpha smooth muscle actin, and TGF-beta1 mRNA expression. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that relaxin modulates effective collagen deposition by HSC, at least in part, due to changes in the pattern of matrix degradation.     

High glucose stimulates hepatic stellate cells to proliferate and to produce collagen through free radical production and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is a clinicopathologic condition that may progress to liver fibrosis. Hyperglycemia is supposed to be one of the factors inducing hepatic fibrogenesis, but the mechanism has not been fully clarified. Oxidative stress is increasingly found in patients with diabetes/hyperglycemia in which conditions reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced. METHODS: We performed experiments using hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in culture in order to confirm the effect of high glucose concentrations on cell proliferation, type I collagen production, ROS production and activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. RESULTS: High glucose stimulated cell growth of HSCs and up-regulated the levels of activated/phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and free radical production in HSCs. The MAP kinase phosphorylation and cell proliferation were suppressed by diphenylene iodonium chloride, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, and by calphostin C, a protein kinase C (PKC)-specific inhibitor. Increased type I collagen mRNA and protein levels were also observed in HSCs at high glucose concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that high glucose concentrations may stimulate ROS production through PKC-dependent activation of NADPH oxidase, and induce MAP kinase phosphorylation subsequent to proliferation and type I collagen production by HSCs.     

Angiotensin II stimulates the synthesis of nucleic acid,protein and collagen of cultured hepatic stellate cells in rats

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of different doses of angiotensin II (AngII) on the proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and collagen synthesis in rats. METHODS: Pronase E and collagen I were used to isolate the HSC, and ³H‐TdR,³H‐Leu and ³H‐pro incorporation methods were used to evaluate the effects of the different doses of AngII on HSC DNA, protein and proline synthesis. RESULTS: It was found that 10^‐9?10^?6 mol/L AngII could increase the ³H‐TdR incorporation rate of the HSC (P < 0.05), but only 10^?6 mol/L and 10^?7 mol/L AngII could significantly increase the ³H‐Leu incorporation rate of the HSC (P < 0.01); 10^?9?10^?6 mol/L AngII caused a significant increment of the ³H‐pro incorporation rate of the HSC in a dose‐dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: The appropriate dose of AngII may promote HSC proliferation and collagen synthesis.     

Effect of endotoxin pretreatment on hepatic stellate cell response to ethanol and acetaldehyde

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The role of endotoxin in alcohol-induced liver damage is well recognized. How pre-exposure to endotoxin might affect alcohol injury is not known. We herein studied the effect of endotoxin pretreatment on hepatic stellate cell (HSC) response to ethanol and acetaldehyde. METHODS: Rat HSC (CFSC-2G) were exposed to media supplemented with 1 microg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This was followed by a 24 h exposure to media containing LPS plus 50 mmol/L ethanol or 175 micromol/L acetaldehyde. Lipid peroxidation, collagen, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 secretion were determined at the end of both periods of exposure. RESULTS: Lipopolysaccharide pretreatment did not modify lipid peroxidation induced by ethanol or acetaldehyde alone. Glutathione (GSH) content decreased to 4.2 +/- 0.5 and 16.3 +/- 0.8 nmol protein after exposure to ethanol or acetaldehyde alone, and decreased further with LPS pretreatment (2.4 +/- 0.2 and 2.7 +/- 0.3 nmol/mg protein, respectively). Oxidized GSH (GSSG) content increased in ethanol and acetaldehyde LPS-pretreated cells only. Collagen secretion increased to 988 +/- 82 and 1169 +/- 91 microg/10(6) cells after exposure to acetaldehyde or LPS alone. Lipopolysaccharide pretreatment enhanced collagen secretion significantly in both ethanol- and acetaldehyde-treated cells (969 +/- 56 and 1360 +/- 72 microg/10(6) cells, respectively). Interleukin-6 production increased to 288 +/- 48, 1195 +/- 86 and 247 +/- 35 pg/mL per 10(6) cells after ethanol, acetaldehyde and LPS exposure, and increased further with LPS pretreatment in ethanol-exposed cells (680 +/- 23 pg/mL 10(6) cells). CONCLUSION: Lipopolysaccharide pretreatment of HSC adds to the damage produced by ethanol and acetaldehyde by diminishing GSH content and increasing GSSG content, collagen and IL-6 secretion.     

Inhibitory effects of prostaglandin E_1 on activation of hepatic stellate cells in rabbits with schistosomiasis

BACKGROUND: Liver fibrosis is the result of an imbalance between synthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix proteins of the liver. At the cellular and molecular levels, this progressive process is mainly characterized by activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Schistosoma japonica is one of the most prevalent causes of liver fibrosis in China. It is characterized by hepatocyte damage, inflammation, and chronic parasite egg-induced granuloma formation leading to fibrosis. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on activation of HSCs and the alteration of type Ⅰ and Ⅲ collagen in rabbits with schistosomiasis. The study may promote the clinical application of praziquantel and PGE1 as a combined therapy to reverse hepatic fibrosis caused by schistosomiasis. METHODS: Rabbits were percutaneously infected with cercaria of S. japonicum. Seven rabbits were subjected to intravenous injections of PGE1 (2.5 μg/kg daily) from days 60 to 120 after infection. The ultrastructural changes in activated HSCs were observed under transmission electron microscopy. The expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was detected by immunohistochemistry. Fibril-forming collagens were detected by picrosirius staining. RESULTS: Activation of HSCs was a characteristic alteration in schistosome-induced hepatic fibrosis. The expression of contraction-related α-SMA and thecontent of collagens were increased. Exogenous PGE1 markedly inhibited the activation of HSCs and reduced the expression of α-SMA around the hepatic sinusoids (P<0.01). The contents of type Ⅰ and Ⅲ collagens were significantly attenuated. The ratio of staining area to the whole field (10×3.3) under a polarized light microscope in the untreated and treated groups was 37.25±9.71 vs. 13.38±4.24 (P<0.01) and 9.66±3.52 vs. 6.23±1.81 (P<0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of HSCs may play a key role in the progress of schistosome-induced hepatic fibrosis. PGE1 effectively protects rabbit liver from fibrosis, at least in part by inhibiting the activation of HSCs.     

Molecular mechanisms in the reversible regulation of morphology,proliferation and collagen metabolism in hepatic stellate cells by the three-dimensional structure of the extracellular matrix

Hepatic stellate cells (vitamin A-storing cells, lipocytes, interstitial cells, fat-storing cells, Ito cells) exist in the perisinusoidal space of the hepatic lobule and store 80% of the body's retinoids as retinyl palmitate in lipid droplets in the cytoplasm. Under physiological conditions, these cells play pivotal roles in the regulation of retinoid homeostasis; they express specific receptors for retinol-binding protein (RBP), a binding protein specific for retinol, on their cell surface, and take up the complex of retinol and RBP by receptor-mediated endocytosis. However, in pathological conditions such as liver fibrosis, these cells lose retinoids and synthesize a large amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) components including collagen, proteoglycan and adhesive glycoproteins. The morphology of these cells also changes from star-shaped stellate cells to that of fibroblasts or myofibroblasts. The three-dimensional structure of ECM components was found to regulate reversibly the morphology, proliferation and functions of hepatic stellate cells. Molecular mechanisms in the reversible regulation of stellate cells by ECM imply cell surface integrin binding to ECM components followed by signal transduction processes and then cytoskeleton assembly.     

肝星状细胞在逆转肝纤维化中的作用

肝纤维化是一种能够导致门静脉高压、肝硬化、肝衰竭的严重疾病。已经发现肝星状细胞的活化是引起肝纤维化的中心环节,因此抑制肝星状细胞的活化、加速肝星状细胞的清除有望逆转肝纤维化。本文将对活化的肝星状细胞的凋亡、衰老以及清除的研究进展作综述,阐明肝星状细胞在肝纤维化过程中所起的作用及相关机制。     

Inhibition of hepatic stellate cells proliferation by mesenchymal stem cells and the possible mechanisms

Aim: During fibrosis, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) undergo a complex activation process characterized by increased proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition. Previous studies have suggested that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may ameliorate fibrogenesis and represent a promising strategy for cell therapy. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Methods: Hepatic stellate cells were treated with or without MSCs. Then cell proliferation and cell cycle were analyzed. Production of soluble factors by MSCs and its relation with cell proliferation suppression was evaluated by transwell co‐culture and RNA interference. Effects of MSCs on the gene expression of collagen were also evaluated. Results: MSCs induced G₀/G₁ arrest of HSCs growth partly through secreting soluble factors TGF‐β3 and HGF, which resulted in up‐regulation of p21^Cip1 and p27^Kip1 expression and down‐regulation of cyclinD1. MSCs inhibited the phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and reduced gene expression of collagen type I and III. MSCs did not reverse the proliferation and collagen type I gene expression of HSCs provoked by PDGF. Conclusions: The growth inhibition of HSCs induced by MSCs through an arrest in the G₀/G₁ phase of the cell cycle is partially mediated by secretion of TGF‐β3 and HGF. MSCs inhibit HSCs activation through decreasing phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. These results further support MSCs may be used as a novel therapy for treating fibrotic diseases in human.     

Inhibitory effect of human interferon-beta-1a on activated rat and human hepatic stellate cells

Background and Aims: Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are the primary cell type mediating hepatic fibrosis. Although known for its antiviral effects, the inhibitory effects of interferon‐beta (IFN‐β) on HSC treatment have not yet been established. Methods: Both human and rat activated HSC cell lines were incubated with increasing concentrations of recombinant human IFN‐β1a (rhIFN‐β1a) for 24, 48 or 72 h. The effects of rhIFN‐β1a on α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), collagen types I and III, transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1), platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB (PDGF‐BB), and mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (Smad4, Smad7) expression in HSC were examined using Western blotting and immunocytochemistry. Proliferation of HSC was evaluated via bromodeoxyuridine assay. Results: rhIFN‐β1a treatment had a dose‐dependent, inhibitory effect on α‐SMA and collagen type I protein expression. In addition, rhIFN‐β1a decreased the expression of collagen type III, TGF‐β1, PDGF‐BB and Smad4 protein expression in HSC compared with untreated cells. We also observed increased Smad7 protein expression and decreased proliferation in rhIFN‐β1a‐treated HSC. Conclusions: Our data suggest that rhIFN‐β1a treatment decreased α‐SMA and collagen expression and inhibited the activation of HSC through the inhibition of the TGF‐β and PDGF pathways.     

肝素对肝纤维化大鼠肝星状细胞增殖及分泌的影响及其作用机制

目的观察肝素在体外对肝纤维化大鼠肝星状细胞增殖及分泌的影响,并探讨其作用机制。方法应用Nycodenz分离肝纤维化大鼠的肝星状细胞置培养板中,并分为三组。A、B组分别加入1000μg/ml及2000μg/ml肝素,C组不用药。应用MTT比色法检测各组肝星状细胞的增殖状况,免疫细胞化学检测各组肝星状细胞中α-平滑肌肌动蛋白(α-SMA)、转化生长因子-β1(TGF-β1)、层粘连蛋白(LN)的表达。结果OD值A组为0.0626±0.0137,B组为0.0746±0.0131,C组为0.1106±0.0198,A、B组均显著低于C组(P均<0.05),B组低于A组(P>0.05);C组肝星状细胞胞质中可见α-SMA、TGF-β1和LN明显表达,A、B组各指标表达均低于C组(P分别<0.01和<0.05),A组表达低于B组(P<0.05)。结论肝素可抑制肝纤维化大鼠肝星状细胞的增殖及胶原分泌,作用机制可能是抑制肝星状细胞表达TGF-β1。     

人肝星状细胞的分离培养方法

HSC是细胞外基质的主要合成细胞。从人肝组织中分离培养HSC,用于中药药理研究,可以得到与人体内相接近的实验结果,从而增加实验数据的可信度。我们成功分离培养了人肝星状细胞（H-HSC）,报道如下。     

Cell survival,activation and apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells: modulation by extracellular matrix proteins

Aim: Cytokines and growth factors released by various hepatic cells exert both paracrine and autocrine effects on hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation during liver injury. The aim of the present study was to examine whether the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) influences the activation, transdifferentiation and survival of HSCs. Methods: An in vitro model system of isolated HSCs maintained in culture on different matrix protein substrata was employed. Results: The rate of loss of HSC‐specific retinol uptake activity and gain of myofibroblast‐like activity such as ³⁵[S] proteoglycan synthesis varied in cells maintained on different matrix proteins and was in the order collagen I > collagen IV ≥ laminin. ³[H]‐thymidine incorporation by HSCs maintained on different matrix proteins varied and was in the order collagen I > collagen IV > laminin. MTT assay revealed that the growth inhibition in response to curcumin was significantly low in cells maintained on collagen I. Apoptotic marker activities such as DNA fragmentation, 4′,6′‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI) staining, annexin staining and caspase‐3 activities showed that cells maintained on collagen I showed minimal apoptosis than those maintained on collagen IV, laminin and polylysine, showing the influence of ECM on HSC apoptosis. Experiments using blocking antibodies showed that the collagen I effect was mediated through α₂β₁ integrin. Conclusions: These results indicate that ECM influences activation, transdifferentiation and survival of HSCs, and suggest that apart from diffusible factors, the surrounding ECM also influences HSC behavior critical in both the progression of the fibrosis and the restitution of the liver during recovery after hepatic injury.     

双环醇对慢性乙型肝炎患者肝星状细胞活化和胶原合成的影响

目的:观察双环醇对慢性乙型肝炎(乙肝)患者肝组织炎症、纤维化程度、肝星状细胞活化和胶原合成的影响,探讨其抗纤维化作用机制。方法:20例慢性乙肝患者以双环醇150mg/d治疗24周,治疗前、后分别行肝穿刺活体组织病理学检查,评估治疗前、后肝组织炎症及纤维化程度;并应用免疫组织化学技术和彩色病理图文分析系统观察治疗前、后肝组织内α平滑肌肌动蛋白(α-SMA)、转化生长因子β1(TGF-β1)表达状况和Ⅰ、Ⅲ型胶原含量的变化。结果:慢性乙肝患者经双环醇治疗后,其血清丙氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)和γ谷氨酰转移酶(γ-GT)水平可显著降低,复常率分别达95%和70%,不仅肝组织炎症和纤维化程度明显改善,且肝组织内α-SMA和TGF-β1的表达强度明显减弱,同时Ⅰ、Ⅲ型胶原的含量也较治疗前明显降低。结论:双环醇治疗可减轻慢性乙肝患者肝脏炎症反应和纤维化程度,同时明显降低肝组织内TGF-β1、α-SMA的表达,阻止肝星状细胞活化和Ⅰ、Ⅲ型胶原的合成,从而发挥抗纤维化作用。