title: Anti-fibrotic effects of thalidomide on hepatic stellate cells and dimethylnitrosamine-intoxicated rats.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) plays a central role in cellular necrosis, apoptosis, organ failure, tissue damage, inflammation and fibrosis. These processes, occurring in liver injury, may lead to cirrhosis. Thalidomide, alpha-N-phthalidoglutarimide, (C(13)H(10)N(2))(4), has been shown to have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, possibly mediated through its anti-TNF-alpha effect. In this study, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo effects of thalidomide on hepatic fibrosis. A cell line of rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6) was stimulated with transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) or TNF-alpha. The inhibitory effects of thalidomide on the NFkappaB signaling cascade and fibrosis markers including alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and collagen, were assessed. An in vivo therapeutic study was conducted in dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-treated rats, which were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: vehicle (0.7% carboxyl methyl cellulose, CMC), thalidomide (40 mg/kg), thalidomide (200 mg/kg), or silymarin (50 mg/kg), each given by gavage twice daily for 3 weeks starting after 1 week of DMN administration. Thalidomide (100-800 nM) concentration-dependently inhibited NFkappaB transcriptional activity induced by TNF-alpha, including IKKalpha expression and IkappaBalpha phosphorylation in HSC-T6 cells. In addition, thalidomide also suppressed TGF-beta1-induced alpha-SMA expression and collagen deposition in HSC-T6 cells. Fibrosis scores of livers from DMN-treated rats receiving high dose of thalidomide (0.89 +/- 0.20) were significantly reduced in comparison with those of DMN-treated rats receiving vehicle (1.56 +/- 0.18). Hepatic collagen contents of DMN rats were also significantly reduced by either thalidomide or silymarin treatment. Immunohistochemical double staining results showed that alpha-SMA- and NFkappaB-positive cells were decreased in the livers from DMN rats receiving either thalidomide or silymarin treatment. In addition, real-time PCR analysis indicated that hepatic mRNA expressions of TGF-beta1, alpha-SMA, collagen 1alpha2, TNF-alpha and iNOS genes were attenuated by thalidomide treatment. In conclusion, our results showed that thalidomide inhibited activation of HSC-T6 cells by TNF-alpha and ameliorated liver fibrosis in DMN-intoxicated rats.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Lee-Won
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Yi-Chao
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Yung-Tsung
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Kuo-Ching
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yi-Tsau
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000628:therapy; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016328:NF-kappa B; C000606206:Nfkbia protein, rat; C508962:Tgfb1 protein, rat; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D013792:Thalidomide; D003094:Collagen; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine