INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF THE HERBAL MEDICINE SHO-SAIKO-TO (TJ-9) ON CELL-PROLIFERATION AND PROCOLLAGEN GENE EXPRESSIONS IN CULTURED RAT HEPATIC STELLATE CELLS
K. Kayano et al., INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF THE HERBAL MEDICINE SHO-SAIKO-TO (TJ-9) ON CELL-PROLIFERATION AND PROCOLLAGEN GENE EXPRESSIONS IN CULTURED RAT HEPATIC STELLATE CELLS, Journal of hepatology, 29(4), 1998, pp. 642-649
Background/Aims: It is of extreme importance to prevent liver fibrosis
and subsequent progression to liver cirrhosis. The aim of our study w
as to elucidate in vitro whether Sho-saiko-to exerted inhibitory effec
ts on hepatic stellate cells. Methods: Hepatic stellate cells were iso
lated from male Wistar rats. Water-soluble ingredients of Shosaiko-to
were obtained at concentrations of 10, 100, 250, 500 and 1000 mu g/ml.
Morphological transformation was observed under a phase-contrast micr
oscope. Flow cytometric analysis was performed on day 4 after culture
to evaluate the potential to proliferate of the stellate cells by anal
yzing cell cycles. Northern blot analysis was carried out on day 3 aft
er culture to determine the expressions of type I and type III procoll
agen mRNAs. Results: (i) Sho-saiko-to 500 and 1000 mu g/ml inhibited m
orphological transformation of the stellate cells to myofibroblast-lik
e cells. (ii) Sho-saiko-to 500 and 1000 mu g/ml significant ly (p<0.00
01) accumulated the cells in the G(0)/G(1) phase (118.8+/-0.7%, 119.2/-0.5%, respectively as compared with control) and significantly (p<0.
0001) decreased cell numbers subsequently in G(2)/M phase (47.5+/-8.1%
? 48.9+/-2.0%, respectively). (iii) Sho-saiko-to 500 and 1000 mu g/ml
also significantly (p<0.05 or p<0.0001) suppressed procollagen mRNA ex
pression of type I to 51.5+/-6.4%, 34.9+/-3.7%, respectively; and type
III to 51.3+/-12.3%, 46.7+/-11.4%, respectively. Conclusions: We have
clarified the inhibitory effects of Sho-saiko-to on hepatic stellate
cells in vitro. Shosaiko-to could be a potent inhibitor in the pathoge
nesis of liver fibrosis.