[The role of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) during activation of hepatic stellate cells].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the role of PPARgamma during the activation process of hepatic stellate cells (HSC).


METHODS
By morphology and RT-PCR, we study the changes of expression of PPARgamma in culture-activated HSC or in vivo activated HSC induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN).


RESULTS
In vitro, the expression level of PPARgamma in freshly isolated HSC (0.72+/-0.01) significantly reduced to 0.48+/-0.03 on the third day of culture (t = 19.8372, P<0.01), and reduced 70% on the seventh culture-day and could not be detected after the second passage. In vivo, HSC freshly isolated from normal control rats expressed PPARgamma (0.76+/-0.01). During the development of rat liver fibrosis induced by DMN, the expression level significantly reduced to 0.46+/-0.02 after the third injection of DMN (t = 29.5318, P<0.01), and reduced 66% on the end of first week and could not be detected on the end of second and third week.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of PPARgamma might play an important role on the maintenance of resting-form of HSC, and the reduction of expression of PPARgamma might be an early event during the activation process of HSC.
Yang
Wen-zhuo
WZ
Tongji Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China.
Liu
Rui-lin
RL
Zeng
Min-de
MD
Lu
Lun-gen
LG
Chen
Xi-mei
XM
Xu
Shu-chang
SC
Mao
Yi-min
YM
Fan
Zhu-ping
ZP
Wang
Zhi-rong
ZR
Cao
Ai-ping
AP
D000818:Animals; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D014157:Transcription Factors