ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of blocking transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) signalling on culture-activated rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>After cultured in plastic dish for two days, HSCs were infected with adenovirus vector AdT beta-ExR or AdLacZ (control) at 10 multiplicity of infection (MOI) and incubated for four days. The expression of type I collagen, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and the proliferation of HSCs were analyzed by ELISA, western blot, immunocytochemistry and BrdU uptake respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression level of type I collagen in HSCs infected with AdT beta-ExR was 42.99% of that in HSCs infected with AdLacZ (q = 9.100, P < 0.001). The expression of alpha-SMA in HSCs infected with AdTbeta-ExR was also inhibited evidently. But the BrdU uptake in HSCs infected with AdLacZ was 49.24% of that in HSCs infected with AdTbeta-ExR (q = 7.835, P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The blockade of TGF-beta signalling in cultured rat HSCs can inhibit their activation significantly, but promote their proliferation.</p>