ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the effects of mollugin on the viability and collagen synthesis of rat hepatic stellate cell line CFSC-2G.METHODS:The activation of CFSC-2G cells was induced with low concentration (10 μmol/L) of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for 30 min in the experiment.The viability of the CFSC-2G cells after exposed to mollu-gin at different concentrations (0, 20, 40, 60 and 120 μmol/L) was detected by MTT assay.The mRNA and protein ex-pression levels of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bax, and hepatic stellate cell activation markers α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen type I ( ColⅠ) were detected by real-time PCR and Western blot .The phosphorylation level of p 38 mitogen-activated protein kinase ( p38 MAPK) was determined by Western blot .RESULTS:Mollugin significantly inhibited the viability and collagen syn-thesis of activated CSFC-2G cells induced by H 2 O2 .The expression of Nrf2, HO-1 and Bax at mRNA and protein levels , and the phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK were promoted, while the levels of NF-κB p65, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, α-SMA and ColⅠwere inhibited by mollugin (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Mollugin may inhibit H2O2-induced viability and collagen synthesis of the CSFC-2G cells by activating Nrf2 and HO-1, and blocking the NF-κB p65 and Bcl-2 expression.