Prevention of cultured rat stellate cell transformation and endothelin‐B receptor upregulation by retinoic acid

Physiologically, perisinusoidal hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are quiescent and store retinoids. During liver injury and in cell culture, HSC transform into proliferating myofibroblast‐like cells that express α ‐smooth muscle actin ( α ‐sma) and produce excessive amounts of extracellular matrix. During transformation (also known as activation), HSC are depleted of the retinoid stores, and their expression of the endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) system is increased. ET‐1 causes contraction of transformed HSC and is implicated in their proliferation and fibrogenic activity. In order to understand the association between retinoids, ET‐1 and the activation of HSC, we investigated the effect of 13‐ cis ‐retinoic acid on the transformation of cultured HSC and the expression of ET‐1 system. HSC derived from normal rat liver were maintained for 10–12 days in a medium supplemented with 5% serum and containing 2.5 μ M retinoic acid without or with 50 n M ET‐1 (ET A +ET B agonist) or sarafotoxin S6c (ET B agonist). In another set of experiments, cells treated for 10–12 days with vehicle (ethanol) or retinoic acid were challenged with ET‐1 or sarafotoxin S6c, and various determinations were made at 24 h. Retinoic acid inhibited transformation and proliferation of HSC as assessed by morphological characteristics, expression of α ‐sma, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and cell count. Retinoic acid also prevented upregulation of ET B receptors without affecting ET‐1 or ET A expression. Total protein synthesis ([ 3 H]leucine incorporation), collagen α types I mRNA expression and collagen synthesis ([ 3 H]proline incorporation) were lower in retinoic acid‐treated cells. Although ET‐1‐treated cells were morphologically similar to the control cells, their expression of α ‐smooth muscle actin was significantly inhibited. The presence of retinoic acid in the medium during treatment with ET‐1 caused further reduction in the expression of α ‐smooth muscle actin. ET‐1 and sarafotoxin S6c stimulated total protein synthesis in vehicle‐ and retinoic acid‐treated cells, but collagen synthesis only in the latter. These results showing prevention of HSC activation and negative regulation of ET B receptor expression in them by retinoic acid may have important pathophysiologic implications.British Journal of Pharmacology (2003) 139 , 765–774. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0705303