title: Effects of Ganfukang on expression of connective tissue growth factor and focal adhesion kinase/protein kinase B signal pathway in hepatic fibrosis rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of Ganfukang (GFK) on connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/protein kinase B (PKB or Akt) signal pathway in a hepatic fibrosis rat model and to explore the underlying therapeutic molecular mechanisms of GFK.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into five groups as follows: the control group, the model group (repeated subcutaneous injection of CCl4), and the three GFK treatment groups (31.25, 312.5, and 3125 mg/kg, intragastric administration). Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were used to examine the expression of CTGF, integrin α5, integrin β1, FAK/Akt signal pathway, cyclinD1, and collagen in the different-treated rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GFK attenuated the up-regulation of CTGF, integrin α5, and integrin β1 in hepatic fibrosis rats and suppressed both the phosphorylation of FAK and the phosphorylation of Akt simultaneously (P<0.01). At the same time, the expression of cyclinD1, collagen I, and collagen III was decreased by GFK significantly (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CTGF and FAK/Akt signal pathway were activated in the CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis rats, which contribute to increased expression of cyclinD1 and collagen genes. The mechanisms of the anti-fibrosis activity of GFK may be due to its effects against CTGF and FAk/Akt signal pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, 116044, China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Miao-na
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Cai-hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu-jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D039482:Integrin alpha5 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D039482:Integrin alpha5; D019012:Integrin beta1; C550090:gan-fu-kang; D019938:Cyclin D1; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor; D003094:Collagen; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt