title: Mechanical force and tensile strain activated hepatic stellate cells and inhibited retinol metabolism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the principal producers of extracellular matrix proteins, play a major role in the development of liver fibrosis which is accompanied with elevated sinusoidal pressure and portal hypertension. We have isolated primary rat HSCs and investigated the effect of mechanical pressure and tensile strain on retinol metabolism in the cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mechanical force and tensile strain significantly increased the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen I, and notably inhibited the expression of cellular retinol-binding protein I (CRBP-I), lecithin-retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), retinyl ester hydrolase (REH), retinoic acid receptor-β (RAR-β) and retinoid X receptor-α (RXR-α). Such effects were partially reversed by the retinoid X receptor antagonist, HX531, and the retinoic acid receptor antagonist, LE135.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mechanical force and tensile strain significantly activate HSCs by regulating the retinoid metabolic pathway. Activation of HSCs can therefore be manipulated through mechanical force and tensile strain in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, XinYu People's Hospital, Jiangxi, China, YiSuHong32@126.com.
authors.forename: Su-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D055585:Physical Phenomena; D051381:Rats; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A