Abstract
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play key roles in hepatic fibrosis. One of the most striking alterations in activated HSCs is loss of cytoplasmic lipid droplets. However, the association of lipid storage with the activation of HSCs remains unclear. CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins family (C/EBPs), especially C/EBP-α, controls differentiation of adipocytes. We suggested that C/EBP-α gene may be involved in HSCs activation. The present results showed that the expression levels of C/EBP-α and C/EBP-β genes declined in activated HSCs. Over-expression of C/EBP-α gene in activated HSCs: (1) inhibited HSCs proliferation, extracellular matrix-producing, α-smooth muscle actin gene expression, and induced rebound of cytoplasmic lipid droplets; (2) reduced retinoic acid receptor-β, C/EBP-δ and -β gene expressions, but increased the active form C/EBP-β PSer 105, and induced retinoid X receptor-α gene expression; and (3) did not affect the protein level of p16INK4a, p21Cip1/WAF1 or p27Kip1. In conclusions, C/EBP-α gene is involved in in vitro activation of rat HSCs.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1309-1318 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications |
Volume | 324 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 26 2004 |
Keywords
- CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins
- Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors
- Hepatic stellate cells
- Retinoic acid receptors
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics
- Molecular Biology