Methyl helicterate inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation through downregulating the ERK1/2 signaling pathway |
| |
Authors: | Yuanyuan Wei Xiaolin Zhang Shujuan Wen Shaode Huang Quanfang Huang Shengjuan Lu Facheng Bai Jinlan Nie Jinbin Wei Zhongpeng Lu Xing Lin |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Life Sciences Institute and Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China;2. Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Agricultural Vocational College, Nanning, China;3. Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China;4. Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China Pharmaceutical College, University of Arkansas Medical School, Little Rock, Arkansas |
| |
Abstract: | The present study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of methyl helicterate (MH) on hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6), primarily elucidating the underlying mechanism of MH against liver fibrosis. HSC-T6 cells were activated by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulation, and then the effects of MH on cell viability, cytomembrane integrity, colony, migration, apoptosis, and cell cycle were detected. Moreover, the regulative mechanism of MH on HSCs was investigated by detecting the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) signaling pathway. The results showed that MH significantly inhibited HSC-T6 cell viability and proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. It notably promoted the release of lactate dehydrogenase, destroying cell membrane integrity. MH also markedly inhibited HSC-T6 cell clonogenicity and migration. Moreover, MH treatment significantly induced cell apoptosis and arrested cell cycle at the G2 phase. The further study showed that MH inhibited the expression of ERK1, ERK2, c-fos, c-myc, and Ets-1, blocking the ERK1/2 pathway. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that MH significantly inhibits HSC activation and promotes cell apoptosis via downregulation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. |
| |
Keywords: | extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 signaling pathway hepatic fibrosis hepatic stellate cells methyl helicterate platelet-derived growth factor |
|
|