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BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Oxymatrine inhibits aldosterone-induced rat cardiac fibroblast proliferation and differentiation by attenuating smad-2,-3 and-4 expression: an in vitro study

Authors: Lingyun Fu, Yini Xu, Ling Tu, Haifeng Huang, Yanyan Zhang, Yan Chen, Ling Tao, Xiangchun Shen

Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Background

We previously demonstrated oxymatrine, an alkaloid from the Chinese medicine radix Sophorae flavescentis, ameliorates hemodynamic disturbances and cardiac fibrosis; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, we investigated the effect and mechanism of action of oxymatrine on aldosterone-induced cardiac fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation in vitro.

Methods

Cardiac fibroblasts were isolated purified from neonatal Sprague Dawley rats. The optimal concentration of aldosterone to stimulate cardiac fibroblast proliferation was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cardiac fibroblasts were pretreated with 7.57 × 10−4 mol/L or 3.78 × 10−4 mol/L oxymatrine or without oxymatrine for 2 h, and then coincubated with 1 × 10−8 mol/L aldosterone for 48 h. The MTT assay and Masson staining were used to detect the cardiac fibroblast proliferation and myofibroblast differentiation. The secretion of type I and III collagen was measured by commercial ELISA kits, and the hydroxyproline content was determined by the colorimetric assay. Western blotting assayed the Smad-2, Smad-3, and Smad-4 protein expression in cardiac fibroblasts.

Results

The present results confirmed that aldosterone induced cardiac fibroblast to myofibroblast proliferation and differentiation. The MTT assay and Masson staining indicated oxymatrine significantly inhibited aldosterone-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation and myofibroblast differentiation. Oxymatrine significantly inhibited aldosterone-induced secretion of type I and III collagen, as indicated by commercial ELISA kits, and aldosterone-induced increase in hydroxyproline content, as indicated by a colorimetric assay. Western blotting revealed oxymatrine attenuated aldosterone-induced Smad-2, Smad-3, and Smad-4 expression in cardiac fibroblasts.

Conclusion

Oxymatrine can inhibit cardiac fibroblast proliferation and differentiation into myofibroblasts via a mechanism linked to attenuation of the Smad signaling pathway.
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Metadata
Title
Oxymatrine inhibits aldosterone-induced rat cardiac fibroblast proliferation and differentiation by attenuating smad-2,-3 and-4 expression: an in vitro study
Authors
Lingyun Fu
Yini Xu
Ling Tu
Haifeng Huang
Yanyan Zhang
Yan Chen
Ling Tao
Xiangchun Shen
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 2662-7671
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-016-1231-9

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