title: Integrity of myosin light chain kinase is essential for Ito cell contraction.
abstract: Hepatic sinusoidal Ito cells (fat storing cells) are believed to play a regulatory role on hepatic sinusoidal blood flow through their contraction. The detailed mechanism of contraction of Ito cells, however, is still unknown. The present study was undertaken to clarify the effect of new myosin light chain kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, on Ito cell contraction. Ito cells prepared from rat liver were cultured for 4 days before the study. The contraction of Ito cells, which was monitored and analysed by time-lapse video tape recording, was triggered by addition of endothelin-1. Wortmannin pretreatment for 1 h inhibited endothelin-induced Ito cell contraction dose-dependently. Therefore, the integrity of the actomyosin system is essential for Ito cell contraction and normal sinusoidal blood flow.
authors.affiliation: Juntendo University School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: X E
authors.initials: XE
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oide
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yumoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D000730:Androstadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016232:Endothelins / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D009219:Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000077191:Wortmannin
chemical_list: D000730:Androstadienes; D016232:Endothelins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009219:Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase; D000077191:Wortmannin