Effect of angiotensin II type 1 receptor and angiotensin-converting enzyme gene silencing on nuclear factor-kappaB activity in hepatic stellate cells / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 (AT-1) receptor and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene silencing on nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>pSilencer/AT-1 alpha receptor siRNA and pSilencer/ACE siRNA plasmids were transfected into cultured HSC-T6 cells, which were subsequently stimulated by 10(-6) mol/L AngII or ACE inhibitor (ACEI). The DNA binding activity of NF-kappaB in the transfected cells was analyzed using electrophoretic gel mobility shift assay (EMSA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>s Gel shift studies showed that stimulation of the HSCs by AngII markedly increased the DNA-binding activity of NF-kappaB, which was inhibited by the transfection with pSilencer/ AT-1 alpha receptor siRNA plasmid or pSilencer/ACE siRNA plasmid.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>AT-1 alpha receptor and ACE gene silencing result in inhibition of NF-kappaB activity in HSCs in vitro.</p>