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Lysophosphatidic Acid Enhances Collagen Gel Contraction by Hepatic Stellate Cells: Association with Rho-Kinase

https://doi.org/10.1006/bbrc.2000.3634Get rights and content

Abstract

We studied the effect of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) on collagen gel contraction by cultured rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in association with the function of Rho-kinase, one of the target molecules of small GTPase Rho. Binding studies showed a single class-binding site of LPA on HSCs. LPA enhanced the contraction of a collagen lattice seeded with HSCs. LPA increased the number of HSCs with polygonal morphology that contained actin stress fibers, and enhanced the phosphorylation of myosin light chain and the assembly of focal adhesion kinase and RhoA around fibronectin-coated beads seeded on HSCs. The electric cell-substrate impedance sensor system showed that LPA enhanced adhesion of HSC to extracellular substrate. All the effects of LPA were suppressed by Y-27632, Rho-kinase inhibitor. These data support the notion that LPA is involved in modulating HSC morphology, its attachment to surrounding extracellular matrix and its contraction by a mechanism involving Rho-kinase.

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      In animal models, plasma LPA level and serum ATX activity were increased in toxin-induced acute and chronic hepatitis and their levels were correlated with liver damage severity [146]. In vitro, LPA stimulated rat hepatic stellate cell proliferation via Gi proteins [147], enhanced their contractility through Rho/ROCK [148,149] and inhibited their apoptosis [150]. Moreover, LPA was shown to induce endothelial NOS nuclear translocation in hepatocytes [151].

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    Abbreviations used: LPA, lysophosphatidic acid; HSC, hepatic stellate cell; Y-27632, (R)-(+)-trans-N-(4-pyridyl)-4-(1-aminoethyl)-cyclohexanecarboxamide; FAK, focal adhesion kinase; MLC, myosin light chain; ECIS, electric cell-substrate impedance sensor system.

    1

    To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed at Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. Fax: +81-3-5800-8806. E-mail: [email protected].

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