Inhibitory effect of Ophiopogon japonicus on rat cardiac fibroblasts
WANG Guo-qin1，LI Rui-man2，JIN Wei3，SONG Guo-liang3，CHEN Qin3，PEI Zhao-hui3
1Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 3Department of Cardiology, Nanchang Third Municipal Hospital, Nanchang 330009, China; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
AIM：To investigate the inhibitory effect of Ophiopogon japonicus on rat cardiac fibroblast (CFs) and the underlying mechanism. METHODS：Cultured CFs from Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into 4 groups: control group (normal rat cardiac fibroblasts), Ophiopogon japonicus of 10 μg/L group, Ophiopogon japonicus of 20 μg/L group and Ophiopogon japonicus of 30 μg/L group. Cell vitality, ［3H］-proline incorporation, and the protein expression of TGF-β1, p-Smad2/3 and total Smad2/3 in CFs were determined. RESULTS：Compared with control, the cell vitality, ［3H］-proline incorporation, and the protein expression of TGF-β1, p-Smad2/3 and total Smad2/3 were significantly decreased in Ophiopogon japonicus of 10 μg/L group. Compared with Ophiopogon japonicus of 10 μg/L group, the cell vitality, ［3H］-proline incorporation, and the protein expression of TGF-β1, p-Smad2/3 and total Smad2/3 were significantly decreased in Ophiopogon japonicus of 20 μg/L group. Compared with Ophiopogon japonicus of 20 μg/L group, the cell vitality,［3H］-proline incorporation, and the protein expression of TGF-β1, p-Smad2/3 and total Smad2/3 were significantly decreased in Ophiopogon japonicus of 30 μg/L group. CONCLUSION：Ophiopogon japonicus may inhibit CFs. These actions are related to the changes of ［3H］-proline incorporation, and the protein expression of TGF-β1, p-Smad2/3 and total Smad2/3.
