World J Gastroenterol. 2002 Jun; 8(3): 515-9.

Salvia miltiorrhiza monomer IH764-3 induces hepatic stellate cell apoptosis via caspase-3 activation.

Zhang XL, Liu L, Jiang HQ.

Department of Gastroenterology The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University Shijiazhuang 050000 Hebei Province China.

AIM: To investigate the effects of IH764-3 on HSC apoptosis and the expression of caspase-3 protein in HSC apoptotic process. METHODS: HSCs were cultured in medium with different IH764-3 doses(10 microg.mL(-1) 20 microg.mL(-1) 30 microg.mL(-1) 40 microg.mL(-1)) and without IH764-3 and HSC proliferation was quantitatively measured by (3)H-thymidine incorporation. The morphological changes of HSCs were observed with transmission electron microscope after exposure to the dose of 40 microg.mL(-1) of IH764-3 for 48 hr. The apoptosis rates were detected by annexin V/PI and TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). The expression of caspase-3 protein was determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS: (1) HSC proliferation rates induced with different IH764-3 doses (10 microg.mL(-1) 20 microg.mL(-1) 30 microg.mL(-1) 40 microg.mL(-1)) were significantly reduced compared with that of the control group (P<0.01). (2)With the doses above,IH764-3 dose-dependently produced HSC apoptosis rates of 6.7%(9.4%) 9.3%(21.6%) 15.1%(27.2%) and 19.0%(28.4%) respectively by annexin V and PI-labeled flow cytometry assay or TUNEL while it was only 2.3%(6.7%) in the control. (3) The expression of caspase-3 protein in IH764-3 groups was significantly higher than that of the control (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Within the dose range used in present study IH764-3 can inhibit HSC proliferation as well as enhance HSC apoptosis. Furthermore IH764-3 can significantly increase the caspase-3 protein expression.