title: Salvianolic Acid B Attenuates Rat Hepatic Fibrosis via Downregulating Angiotensin II Signaling.
abstract: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays an important role in hepatic fibrosis. Salvianolic acid B (Sal B), one of the water-soluble components from Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae, has been used to treat hepatic fibrosis, but it is still not clear whether the effect of Sal B is related to angiotensin II (Ang II) signaling pathway. In the present study, we studied Sal B effect on rat liver fibrosis and Ang-II related signaling mediators in dimethylnitrosamine-(DMN-) induced rat fibrotic model in vivo and Ang-II stimulated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in vitro, with perindopril or losartan as control drug, respectively. The results showed that Sal B and perindopril inhibited rat hepatic fibrosis and reduced expression of Ang II receptor type 1 (AT1R) and ERK activation in fibrotic liver. Sal B and losartan also inhibited Ang II-stimulated HSC activation including cell proliferation and expression of type I collagen I (Col-I) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) production in vitro, reduced the gene expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), and downregulated AT1R expression and ERK and c-Jun phosphorylation. In conclusion, our results indicate that Sal B may exert an antihepatic fibrosis effect via downregulating Ang II signaling in HSC activation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Liver Diseases, ShuGuang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiuchuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Qinglan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yanyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Junxia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chenghai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu