Effects of Ganfukang on expression of connective tissue growth factor and focal adhesion kinase/protein kinase B signal pathway in hepatic fibrosis rats / 中国结合医学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Ganfukang (GFK) on connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/protein kinase B (PKB or Akt) signal pathway in a hepatic fibrosis rat model and to explore the underlying therapeutic molecular mechanisms of GFK.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into five groups as follows the control group, the model group (repeated subcutaneous injection of CCl4), and the three GFK treatment groups (31.25, 312.5, and 3125 mg/kg, intragastric administration). Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were used to examine the expression of CTGF, integrin α5, integrin β1, FAK/Akt signal pathway, cyclinD1, and collagen in the different-treated rats.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>GFK attenuated the up-regulation of CTGF, integrin α5, and integrin β1 in hepatic fibrosis rats and suppressed both the phosphorylation of FAK and the phosphorylation of Akt simultaneously (P<0.01). At the same time, the expression of cyclinD1, collagen I, and collagen III was decreased by GFK significantly (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CTGF and FAK/Akt signal pathway were activated in the CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis rats, which contribute to increased expression of cyclinD1 and collagen genes. The mechanisms of the anti-fibrosis activity of GFK may be due to its effects against CTGF and FAk/Akt signal pathway.</p>