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Melatonin prevents H 2 O 2 ‐induced activation of rat hepatic stellate cells
Author(s) -
Gu Jing,
Zhuang Li,
Huang GuangCun
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of pineal research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1600-079X
pISSN - 0742-3098
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-079x.2006.00364.x
Subject(s) - melatonin , hepatic stellate cell , medicine , endocrinology , cytokine , in vitro , transforming growth factor , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , in vivo , alpha (finance) , chemistry , biochemistry , construct validity , nursing , patient satisfaction
Considerable evidence shows therapeutic effects of melatonin on liver injury and the involvement of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in vivo. In the present studies, we investigate the protective effect of melatonin on H 2 O 2 ‐induced activation of HSCs in vitro. Compared with that in control HSCs, synthesis of collagen type I was increased in H 2 O 2 ‐treated cells. Melatonin pretreatment significantly inhibited the above effects of H 2 O 2 in HSCs. CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein alpha (C/EBP‐ α ), which could partially reverse the phenotype of activated HSCs, augmented in HSCs pretreated with melatonin. Moreover, secretion of the most important fibrotic cytokine transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF‐ β 1) diminished in melatonin‐pretreated HSCs. These results suggest that melatonin prevents H 2 O 2 ‐induced activation of HSCs and that the mechanism involves, at least in part, differential regulation of TGF‐ β 1 and C/EBP‐ α gene expression.