title: Phenols from the roots of Rheum palmatum attenuate chemotaxis in rat hepatic stellate cells.
abstract: In liver injury, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) acquire an activated phenotype, migrate to the injured region in response to chemotactic factors and produce extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins including alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and collagen in order to repair the damage. HSC-T6, a cell line of rat HSCs, was used in in vitro experiments. TGF-beta1 was used as a chemoattractant. The expression of alpha-SMA was used as a marker of activated hepatic stellate cells and cell migration was assayed with the Transwell method to investigate the active principles of the roots of Rheum palmatum L. (Dahuang), a well-known traditional Chinese herb used for treating liver diseases. Under cell activation and chemotaxis-directed fractionation and purification, four anthraquinones, rhein ( 1), emodin ( 2), chrysophanol ( 3) and physcion ( 4), and four phenylbutanoids, lindleyin ( 5), isolindleyin ( 7), 4-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone 4'- O-beta- D-glucopyranoside ( 8), and 4-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone ( 9), and a stilbene, 3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene 4'- O-beta- D-glucopyranoside 6'- O-gallate ( 6) were isolated from the active fractions. Among them, compounds 1 and 2 inhibited alpha-SMA expression. However, compounds 3, 4, 6 and 8 attenuated chemotactic migration, but not alpha-SMA expression.
authors.affiliation: National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. yllin@nricm.edu.tw
authors.forename: Yun-Lian
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ching-Fen
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yi-Tsau
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D010636:Phenols / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008517:Phytotherapy; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012250:Rheum / Q000737:chemistry*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic; D010636:Phenols; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; C498862:Acta2 protein, rat