title: [Role of PI3K/Akt signaling in hydrogen sulfide-induced alteration in expression of collagen I and III in hepatic stellate cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in hydrogen sulfide-induced alterations in expression of collagen I and collagen III in hepatic stellate cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vitro cultured rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6) were treated with hydrogen sulfide, or left untreated for use as controls, and divided into groups for treatment with different inhibitors for the various factors involved in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Reverse transcription-PCR was used to measure Collagen I and collagen III mRNA expression. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of PI3K and p-Akt, which are upstream proteins of the PI3K/Akt pathway.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the untreated control cells, the hydrogen sulfide treated cells showed elevated expression of collagen I mRNA (F =14.635, P less than 0.05), collagen III mRNA (F =14.620, P less than 0.05), PI3K protein (F =26.672, P less than 0.05), and p-Akt (F =23.522, P less than 0.05). Compared to the cells treated with hydrogen sulfide alone, the cells treated with the various inhibitors showed lower expression of collagen I mRNA (F =14.635, P less than 0.05), collagen III mRNA (F=14.620, P less than 0.05), PI3K protein (F =26.672, P less than 0.05), and p-Akt protein (F =23.522, P less than 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hydrogen sulfide can activate the PI3K/Akt pathway and elevate the expression of collagen I and collagen III in rat hepatic stellate cells.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832002, Xinjiang Uygui Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Weigang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lixiu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Cuihua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I; D024061:Collagen Type III; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide