title: Sodium ferulate lowers portal pressure in rats with secondary biliary cirrhosis through the RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling pathway: a preliminary study.
abstract: Cirrhotic rats show higher expression levels of hepatic RhoA and Rho-kinase than normal healthy rats, and the activation of this signaling pathway leads to portal hypertension. Sodium ferulate (SF) has been shown to decrease the production of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), a substance essential for RhoA activation. In the present study, to investigate the effects of SF on fibrosis, portal hypertension and the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway, hepatic cirrhosis was induced in rats by bile duct ligation. Liver function and fibrogenesis-related biochemical parameters, the hepatic hydroxyproline content, the pathological characteristics of the liver sections and the levels of hepatic α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA; by immunohistochemistry) were analyzed to assess effects of SF on hepatic fibrosis. In addition, hepatic RhoA, Rho-kinase and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression was examined by immunohistochemistry. Apoptosis in the SF-treated and SF + GGPP-treated rat primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and a human stellate cell line (LX-2) was examined by flow cytometry. Intrahepatic resistance and responsiveness to the α1-adrenoceptor agonist, methoxamine, were investigated by in situ liver perfusion. Treatment with SF did not affect fibrosis-related biochemical parameters or the hydroxyproline content; however, SF reduced the histological evidence of fibrosis and hepatocyte damage. The SF-treated rats had a significantly lower expression of α-SMA and Rho-kinase, as well as an increased hepatic eNOS content; however, SF did not affect RhoA expression. The SF-treated HSCs had a significantly increased apoptotic rate compared to the untreated rats. Following the addition of GGPP, the rate apoptotic rate decreased. SF reduced basal intrahepatic resistance and the responsiveness of hepatic vascular smooth muscle to methoxamine. Therefore, our data demonstrate that SF reduces fibrogenesis, decreases portal pressure in cirrhotic rats and inhibits the activation of the RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organ Transplantation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Diseases, Chengdu First People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Nan
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hua-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000503:physiopathology; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011106:Polyisoprenyl Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D017082:Portal Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003373:Coumaric Acids; D011106:Polyisoprenyl Phosphates; C004999:ferulic acid; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496316:Nos3 protein, rat; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein; C002963:geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate