title: Suppressive effects of YiGanKang, a combination of Chinese herbs, on collagen synthesis in hepatic stellate cell.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Clinical practice and animal research demonstrated that YiGanKang, a combination of Chinese herbs, has anti-fibrosis effects in chronic liver diseases. However, the mechanism is not clear. The present study is to investigate the inhibiting mechanism of YiGanKang on collagen type I synthesis induced by Interleukin-1β(IL-1 β) in rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cultured rat HSCs were divided into 4 groups, control, IL-1β treated group, IL-1β+YiGanKang group and IL-1β+SB203580 (the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor) treated group. The expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), was evaluated by Western blot, collagen type I synthesis was examined by (3)H-Pro incorporation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Type I collagen synthesis in HSCs increased significantly under the stimulation of IL-1β for 24h, YiGanKang could inhibit p38 expression and type I collagen synthesis, SB203580, a p38 inhibitor, can significantly reduce type I collagen synthesis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-1β could stimulate the synthesis of type I collagen in rat HSCs, p38 mediate signal pathway between IL-1β and was type I collagen production. YiGanKang inhibits HSCs collagen synthesis induced by IL-1β via p38 inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050051, China. gracezhangyaping@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Yaping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xixian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007093:Imidazoles; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D011725:Pyridines; C560535:YiGanKang; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C093642:SB 203580