[Inhibitory effect of angiotensin II receptor antagonist on the contraction and growth of hepatic stellate cells].
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the effects of angiotensin II (ANG II) and its receptor antagonist (losartan) on the contraction and growth of HSCs.


METHODS
HSCs were isolated from Sprague Dawley rat and cultured at various conditions as follows: control, pretreatment of 10(-5) M ANG II, pretreatment of 10(-5) M endothelin, and pretreatment of 10(-5) M ANG II and 10(-6) M losartan. We conducted morphologic analysis with cellular area and length by image analysis system to estimate cell growth in each group. In addition, we measured the change of intracellular calcium currents via electrophysiological methods to evaluate the contractile effect of ANG II and losartan on HSCs.


RESULTS
At the fifth day of incubation, the mean cellular area of ANG II-pretreated group and ANG II with losartan-pretreated group were 704.68+/-22.6 micro m2 and 332.90+/-32.6 micro m2, respectively. This difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). ANG II induced an increase in the intracellular calcium current by 22.0+/-3.0% compared with basal current level (p<0.05). However, when losartan was pretreated, ANG II did not cause a significant increase in calcium current (3.1+/-0.8%, p>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
ANG II accelerates the contraction and growth of HSCs, while its receptor blocker, losartan, inhibits the contraction and growth of HSCs.
Baik
Soon Koo
SK
Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, Korea. skbaik@wonju.yonsei.ac.kr
Jo
Ho Sung
HS
Suk
Ki Tae
KT
Kim
Jung Min
JM
Lee
Byong Jun
BJ
Choi
Yeun Jong
YJ
Kim
Hyun Soo
HS
Lee
Dong Ki
DK
Kwon
Sang Ok
SO
Lee
Keon Il
KI
Cha
Seung Kyu
SK
Park
Kyu Sang
KS
Kong
In Deok
ID
D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology*; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D019808:Losartan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D015220:Calcium Channels; D000804:Angiotensin II; D019808:Losartan