Effects of total lignans from tibetan medicine herpetospermum pedunculosum seeds on proliferation and apoptosis of rat hepatic stellate cells / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the possible mechanism of total lignans from Herpetospermum pedunculosum seeds (TLHPS) in fighting against hepatic fibrosis of hepatic stellate cell-T6 (HSC-T6) by studying the effects of TLHPS on inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis of HSC-T6. Methods The cells were divided into totally six groups such as control group, TLHPS groups (10, 20, 30, 40 μg/mL), and colchicine positive control group (0.1 μg/mL). HSC-T6 cells were cultivated for 24, 48, and 72 h by six groups of culture medium containing different drugs. The proliferation inhibitory rate of HSC-T6 cells was detected by CCK8 method at 24, 48, and 72 h respectively. The apoptotic rate and cell cycle were detected by flow cytometry. Protein expression levels of B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and transcription factors-κB (NF-κB) were detected by Western blotting. Results Compared with control group, 24, 48, and 72 h proliferation inhibitory rate of HSC-T6 was obviously elevated in TLHPS 10, 20, 30, 40 μg/mL groups (P 0.05), cell numbers in S phase obviously decreased (P < 0.01). Compared with control group, Bal-2 protein expression obviously decreased in TLHPS 10, 20, 30, 40 μg/mL groups (P < 0.05, 0.01), Bax protein expression obviously increased in TLHPS 40 μg/mL group (P < 0.01) and NF-κB protein expression obviously decreased in TLHPS 20, 30, 40 μg/mL groups (P < 0.01). Conclusion The mechanism of total lignans from Tibetan medicine Herpetospermum fighting against hepatic fibrosis might be associated with inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis of HSC-T6. The inhibition of hepatic stellate cells proliferation and induction of its apoptosis may be related to lowering the expression of Bcl-2 and NF-κB.