Effects of centipede acidic protein on the proliferation and collagen synthesis of cultured neonatal rat cardiac fibroblast induced by angiotensinII

Objective: To study the influence of Centipede Acidic Protein(CAP) on the proliferation and collagen synthesis of cultured neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts(CFb) induced by angiotensinⅡ(AngⅡ),and to explore the mechanisms of CAP on cardiac fibrosis.Methods: Neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts were treated with AngⅡ to produce fibrosis model.The effects of CAP on proliferation of CFb were observed by MTT colorimetric assay,synthesis of collagen was observed by the hydroxyproline concentration.The NO contents were measured by Nitric acid reductase method.The c-myc expression was examined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis.Results: Compared with that of control group,the proliferation,collagen synthesis and the levels of c-myc mRNA expression of CFb in the model group increased,while the NO contents decreased obviously(P0.01).Compared with that of model group,the proliferation,collagen synthesis and the levels of c-myc mRNA expression of CFb in the CAP groups decreased,while the NO contents increased obviously(P0.05 or P0.01).Conclusion: The results suggested that CAP significantly inhibited cardiac fibrosis and its mechanism may be increase the NO contents and down-regulate c-myc mRNA expression.