HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wang, J.-Y. Articles by Chou, C.-K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wang, J.-Y. Articles by Chou, C.-K.

---

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Effects of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi on Macrophage-Hepatocyte Interaction Through Cytokines Related to Growth Control of Murine Hepatocytes

Jir-You Wang^*, Han-Ning Chuang^*, Jen-Hwey Chiu^*,,,1, Shu-Ling Fu^*, Tung-Hu Tsai^*,, Ann-Ping Tsou^||, Cheng-Po Hu^¶, Chin-Wen Chi^¶, Sheau-Farn Yeh^#, Wing-Yiu Lui, Chew-Wun Wu and Chen-Kung Chou^¶

^* Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, Republic of China; Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China; Cheng-Hsiung Rehabilitation Medical Center; National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine; ^|| Institute of Biotechnology in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, Republic of China; ^¶ Medical Research and Education, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China; and ^# Institute of Biochemistry, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, Republic of China

To whom requests for reprints should be addressed at ¹ Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, 155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong Street, Peitou, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, R.O.C. E-mail: chiujh{at}mailsrv.ym.edu.tw

The aim of this study is to elucidate the effects of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SbG) extract and its constituents on macrophage-hepatocyte interaction in primary cultures. By using trans-well primary Kupffer cell culture or conditioned medium (CM) from murine macrophage RAW264.7 cell line (RAW cells), effects of SbG on hepatocyte growth were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide and trypan blue exclusion assay. Cytokine production, antibody-neutralization studies, and molecular mechanisms of transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 gene expression were elucidated on SbG-treated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, recombinant human TGF-ß1 (r-human TGF-ß1) was added to elucidate the mechanisms of SbG effects on cultured hepatocytes. Immunohistochemistry using anti–NF-B antibody was used to determine the possible signal transduction pathways in primary hepatocyte culture. The results showed that SbG stimulated the proliferation of cultured hepatocytes, possibly through NF-B, but not of Toll-like receptor 4 activation; whereas SbG-RAW-CM and SbG in trans-well significantly suppressed the proliferation of hepatocytes. Antibody-neutralization studies revealed that TGF-ß1 was the main antimitotic cytokine in SbG-treated RAW cells CM. The growth stimulation effect of SbG on cultured hepatocytes was inhibited by exogenous administration of r-human TGF-ß1. Furthermore, SbG induced NF-kB translocation into the nuclei of cultured cells. In the RAW264.7 line, SbG and baicalin stimulated TGF-ß1 gene expression via NF-B and protein kinase C activation. We conclude that SbG stimulates hepatocyte growth via activation of the NF-B pathway and induces TGF-ß1 gene expression through the Kupffer cell–hepatocyte interaction, which subsequently results in the inhibition of SbG-stimulated hepatocyte growth.

Key Words: liver regeneration • Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi • interleukin-6 (IL-6) • cDNA microarray • macrophage

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Z. Li, C. Yu, Y. Han, H. Ren, W. Shi, C. Fu, D. He, L. Huang, C. Yang, X. Wang, et al. Inhibitory effect of D1-like and D3 dopamine receptors on norepinephrine-induced proliferation in vascular smooth muscle cells Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, June 1, 2008; 294(6): H2761 - H2768. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]