title: [Effects of nerve growth factor on proliferation of hepatic stellate cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and investigate the related molecular mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  After incubating cultured HSCs for 24 h with different concentrations of NGF (100, 200 or 400 ng/mL), the cell proliferation was observed by XTT colorimetric assay and cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry. Morphological changes in response to a 24 h exposure to 100 ng/mL NGF were observed by transmission electron microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NGF significantly inhibited HSC proliferation (P less than 0.05) in a dose-independent manner. The optical densities of the XTT colorimetric assay were 0.66+/-0.03 for 100 ng/mL NGF, 0.69+/-0.03 for 200 ng/mL NGF, and 0.66+/-0.03 for 400 ng/mL NGF, all of which were significantly lower than that of the control group (0.73+/-0.01; P less than 0.05). All concentrations of NGF led to significantly higher numbers of HSCs in the G2 phase (100 ng/mL: 14.83+/-5.41%, 200 ng/mL: 14.73+/-2.50%, and 400 ng/mL: 14.87+/-2.06%), compared to that detected in the control group (7.47+/-4.39%; P less than 0.05). Twenty-four hours of exposure to 100 ng/mL NGF caused morphological changes indicative of apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NGF inhibits the proliferation of HSCs, possibly by arresting the cells in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. NGF-inhibited cells may also undergo apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ya-jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hai-yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jian-chang
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Lian-xiang
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guo-rong
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002453:Cell Cycle; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D020932:Nerve Growth Factor