EFFECT OF COLLAGEN I GEL ON APOPTOSIS OF RAT HEPATIC STELLATE CELLS

Bittnerová, Lenka; Jiroutová, Alena; Rudolf, Emil; Řezáčová, Martina; Kanta, Jiří

doi:10.14712/18059694.2014.27

Acta Medica > Archive > 2013, Vol. 56 > Issue 2 > EFFECT OF COLLAGEN I GEL ON APOPTOSIS OF…

Acta Med. 2013, 56: 73-79

https://doi.org/10.14712/18059694.2014.27

EFFECT OF COLLAGEN I GEL ON APOPTOSIS OF RAT HEPATIC STELLATE CELLS

Lenka Bittnerová^a, Alena Jiroutová^a, Emil Rudolf^b, Martina Řezáčová^a, Jiří Kanta^a

^aCharles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic: Department of Medical Biochemistry
^bCharles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic: Department of Medical Biology and Genetics

Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are a major source of fibrous proteins in cirrhotic liver. Inducing or accelerating their apoptosis is a potential way of liver fibrosis treatment. Extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounding cells in tissue affects their differentiation, migration, proliferation and function. Type I collagen is the main ECM component in fibrotic liver. We have examined how this protein modifies apoptosis of normal rat HSC induced by gliotoxin, cycloheximide and cytochalasin D in vitro and spontaneous apoptosis of HSC isolated from CCl₄-damaged liver. We have found that type I collagen gel enhances HSC apoptosis regardless of the agent triggering this process.