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Published on: December 26, 2019
Effects of tetrandrine and verapamil on fibroblastic growth and proliferation
1Xue-Song Liu, Ding-Guo Li, Han-Ming Lu, Qin-Fang Wu, Research Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200092, China.
Aim:
To investigate the effect of tetrandrine (Tet) and verapamil (Ver) on liver fibrosis by evaluating their effects on the growth and proliferation of fibroblasts.
Methods:
Flow cytometry and imaging analysis were used to study the effects of combined and individual treatment of Tet and Ver on fibroblastic proliferation in vitro. Untreated control cells were used for comparison.
Results:
Compared to untreated fibroblasts, those treated with both Tet and Ver showed higher percentages of cells in the G1 and G2+M phase in the cell cycle of 3T6 fibroblasts (P < 0.01) and markedly elevated protein content, while those treated with Tet only showed significantly lower intracellular RNA content (1.5-2.0 μg, P < 0.01) and those treated with Ver only showed lower intracellular DNA content (15-20 μg, P < 0.01).
Conclusion:
The inhibitory action of Tet and Ver on fibroblastic growth and proliferation might be responsible for the antifibrotic effects of these medications in liver fibrosis.
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