The Effects Of MicroRNA-21 On The Activation Of Hepatic Stellate Cells

ObjectiveOur study is to investigate whether microRNA-21 promote the activation of hepatic stellate cells and the probable signal pathway,verify PDGF stimulate hepatic stellate cells proliferation.Methods1. Treated LX-2 cells with PDGF(1)Assay the expression of microRNA-21 and procollagen type I by real-time PCR.(2)Detect the expression of the protein of a-SMA by western blot.2.Transfection anti-micro RNA-21 in LX-2 cells(1)Assay the expression of microRNA-21 and procollagen type I by real-time PCR.(2)Observe the expression of the proteins ofα-SMA and PTEN by western blot.(3)Assay the viability of different groups by WST-1 and calculate their survival rate.Results1. The expression of microRNA-21 and procollagen type I in LX-2 cells were increasing significantly after treated with PDGF (P<0.05).2. The expression of a-SMA protein of treated group was stronger than the control one3. Comparing the group transfected with anti-microRNA-21 with the negative control group had such differences:the expressions of micro RNA-21 and procollagen type I were both reduced remarkablely in transfected group(P<0.05).4. Such as above-mentiond, the protein of a-SMA of LX-2 cells in transfected group was lower than the negative control one.Conversely, PTEN was higher in transfected group than the negative control one.5. WST-1 assay demonstrated that the cell viability of LX-2 cells in transfected group was decreased apparently rather than the control group (P<0.05)ConclusionmicroRNA-21 positively promote the activation of hepatic stellate cells maybe through the PTEN pathway. PDGF stimulate the proliferation of hepatic stellate cells may partly by the action of microRNA-21.