Emodin suppresses activation of hepatic stellate cells through p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and Smad signaling pathways in vitro.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that emodin inhibits extracellular matrix (ECM)-related gene expression in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) by blocking canonical or/and noncanonical components of transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) intracellular signaling. Here, we demonstrate that emodin suppressed the gene expression of HSCs activation markers type I collagen, fibronectin, and α-smooth muscle actin, as well as HSCs proliferation. Mechanistically, emodin suppresses TGFβ1, TGFβ receptor II, TGFβ receptor I, and Smad4 gene expression, as well as Smad luciferase activity. Simultaneously, emodin reduced p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 ) activity but not c-Jun N-terminal kinases and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 phosphorylation in HSC-T6 cells. Interestingly, deprivation of TGFβ using a neutralizing antibody abolished emodin-mediated inhibitions of the both Smad transcriptional activity and p38 phosphorylation. Furthermore, emodin-mediated inhibition of HSCs activation could be partially blocked by PD98059 inhibition of p38 or short hairpin RNA-imposed knockdown of Smad4. Conversely, simultaneous inhibition of Smad4 and p38 pathways completely reverses the effects of emodin, suggesting that Smad and p38 locate downstream of TGFβ1 and regulate collagen genes expression in HSCs. Collectively, these data suggest that emodin is a promising candidate for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis.