Effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on proliferation and apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells in vitro.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) inhibitor caffeic acid phenethy1 ester (CAPE) in the proliferation, collagen synthesis and apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) of rats.


METHODS
The HSCs from rats were isolated and cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) and treated with CAPE. The proliferation and collagen synthesis of HSCs were determined by (3)H-TdR and (3)H-proline incorporation respectively, and the expression of type I, III procollagen genes was further explored by in situ hybridization. Apoptosis cell indices (AIs) were examined using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase- mediated DIG-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL).


RESULTS
In activated HSC in culture, CAPE significantly inhibited (3)H-TdR and (3)H-proline incorporation by HSCs at concentrations of 5 micromol/L and 10 micromol/L respectively. CAPE also reduced the type I procollagen gene expression (P<0.05) at higher concentration. Apoptosis of HSC was induced by CAPE and the AIs were time-and dose-dependently increased from 2.82+/-0.73 % to 7.66+/-1.25 % at 12 h (P<0.01) and from 3.15+/-0.88 % to 10.61+/-2.88 % at 24 h (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
CAPE inhibits proliferation and collagen synthesis of HSC at lower concentration and induces HSC apoptosis at higher concentration.
Zhao
Wen-Xing
WX
Medical Laboratory of Kunming General Hospital, Chengdu Command, 212 Daguan Road, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China. zwx-zzh@sohu.com
Zhao
Jing
J
Liang
Chong-Li
CL
Zhao
Bing
B
Pang
Rong-Qing
RQ
Pan
Xing-Hua
XH
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002109:Caffeic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010626:Phenylethyl Alcohol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D002109:Caffeic Acids; C055494:caffeic acid phenethyl ester; D010626:Phenylethyl Alcohol