ABSTRACT
AlM:To investigate the effects of pirfenidone ( PFD) on the proliferation and transfomring growth factor-β1 ( TGF-β1 ) expression in vitro culture rat corneal stromal cells.METHODS: Corneal stromal cells from 8 to 10wk SD rats were isolated, cultured and treated with different concentrations of PFD 0mg/mL (control group), 0. 15mg/mL (experimental group▏), 0. 3mg/mL (experimental group‖), 1mg/mL (experimental group Ⅲ) for 48h. CCK-8 assay was performed to assess cell proliferation, while immunocytochemistry and Western Blot were used to detect the expression of ki-67 and TGF-β1 expression, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with control group, PFD significantly inhibited the proliferation in a dose -dependent manner ( all P < 0. 05 ), so was protein expression of ki-67. PFD significantly down-regulated the expression of TGF-β1 in a dose-dependent manner (P<0. 05).CONCLUSlON: Pirfenidone can significantly inhibit the proliferation of rat corneal stromal cell by down regulating TGF-β1 expression, therefore, it has potential prospect in lightening the corneal wound healing reaction.