Effects of drug serum of anti-fibrosis I herbal compound on calcium in hepatic stellate cell and its molecular mechanism.

AIM: To investigate the effects of anti-fibrosis I herbal compound on intracellular Ca(2+) in activated hepatic stellate cell (HSC) and to try to survey its molecular mechanism in treatment and prevention of hepatic fibrosis and portal hypertension. METHODS: The activated HSC line was plated on small glass cover slips in 24 wells culture dishes at a density of 5X10(6) /mL, and incubated in RPMI-1640 media for 24 h. After the cells were loaded with Fluo-3/AM, intracellular Ca(2+) was measured with laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). The dynamic changes of intracellular Ca(2+), stimulated by carbon tetrachloride, TGF-beta(1) antibody and the drug serum of anti-fibrosis I herbal compound and under orthogonal design were determined by LSCM. The effect of anti-fibrosis I herbal compound on intracellular Ca(2+) was observed before and after the addition of TGF-(1) antibody. RESULTS: The intracellular Ca(2+) were significantly different in different dosage of carbon tetrachloride anti-fibrosis I formula drug serum, TGF-beta(1) antibody and different turn of these substance, but their interval time between CCl(4) and TGF-beta(1) antibody, CCl(4) and anti-fibrosis I drug serum had no influence on intracellular Ca(2+). The result showed intracellular Ca(2+) wasn't significantly different between rat serum without anti-fibrosis I and untreated group. After carbon tetrachloride stimulation, intracellular Ca(2+) of activated HSC increased significantly when the dosage of CCl(4) from 5 to 15 mmol/L, however, decreased significantly after stimulation by 5-20 microg/mL TGF-beta(1) antibody or 5-20 mL/L drug serum. Moreover, before and after the addition of TGF-beta(1) antibody, intracellular Ca(2+) was significantly different. These results suggested that the molecular mechanism was independent of blocking TGF-beta(1) effects. CONCLUSION: Anti-fibrosis I herbal compound may treat hepatic fibrosis and decrease portal hypertension by inhibiting activated HSC contractility through decrease of intracellular Ca(2+).