The antifibrotic effects of TGF-{beta}1 siRNA on hepatic fibrosis in rats

Journal Article · Fri Jun 10 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BBRC.2011.05.023· OSTI ID:22204944

Lang, Qing; Liu, Qi ^[1]; Xu, Ning ^[2]; Qian, Ke-Li; Qi, Jing-Hu; Sun, Yin-Chun; Xiao, Lang ^[1]; Shi, Xiao-Feng ^[1]

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1. Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Instituted for Virus Hepatitis and Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing (China)
2. The Second Hospital of YuLin, Shanxi Province (China)

Highlights: {yields} We constructed CCL4 induced liver fibrosis model successfully. {yields} We proofed that the TGF-{beta}1 siRNA had a definite therapy effect to CCL4 induced liver fibrosis. {yields} The therapy effect of TGF-{beta}1 siRNA had dose-dependent. -- Abstract: Background/aims: Hepatic fibrosis results from the excessive secretion of matrix proteins by hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which proliferate during fibrotic liver injury. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-{beta}1 is the dominant stimulus for extracellular matrix (ECM) production by stellate cells. Our study was designed to investigate the antifibrotic effects of using short interference RNA (siRNA) to target TGF-{beta}1 in hepatic fibrosis and its mechanism in rats exposed to a high-fat diet and carbon tetrachloride (CCL4). Methods: A total of 40 healthy, male SD (Sprague-Dawley) rats were randomly divided into five even groups containing of eight rats each: normal group, model group, TGF-{beta}1 siRNA 0.125 mg/kg treatment group, TGF-{beta}1 siRNA 0.25 mg/kg treatment group and TGF-{beta}1 siRNA negative control group (0.25 mg/kg). CCL4 and a high-fat diet were used for 8 weeks to induce hepatic fibrosis. All the rats were then sacrificed to collect liver tissue samples. A portion of the liver samples were soaked in formalin for Hematoxylin-Eosin staining, classifying the degree of liver fibrosis, and detecting the expression of type I and III collagen and TGF-{beta}1; the remaining liver samples were stored in liquid nitrogen to be used for detecting TGF-{beta}1 by Western blotting and for measuring the mRNA expression of type I and III collagen and TGF-{beta}1 by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Comparing the TGF-{beta}1 siRNA 0.25 mg/kg treatment group to the model group, the TGF-{beta}1 siRNA negative control group and the TGF-{beta}1 siRNA 0.125 mg/kg treatment group showed significantly reduced levels of pathological changes, protein expression and the mRNA expression of TGF-{beta}1, type I collagen and type III collagen (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Using siRNA to target TGF-{beta}1 can inhibit the expression of TGF-{beta}1 and attenuate rat hepatic fibrosis induced by a high-fat diet and CCL4. A possible mechanism is through the down-regulation of TGF-{beta}1 expression, which could inhibit HSC activation, as well as the proliferation and collagen production of collagen reducing, so that collagen deposition in the liver is reduced.

• OSTI ID: 22204944
• Journal Information: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Journal Name: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 409; ISSN 0006-291X; ISSN BBRCA9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
ANIMAL TISSUES
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
CELL PROLIFERATION
COLLAGEN
DIET
EOSIN
FATS
FIBROSIS
FORMALDEHYDE
GENE REGULATION
GENE THERAPY
GROWTH FACTORS
HEMATOXYLIN
LIVER
MESSENGER-RNA
POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION
RATS