Nitric oxide donor S‐Nitroso‐N‐acetyl penicillamine for hepatic stellate cells to restore quiescence

Abstract

Liver fibrosis is a hepatic scar repair response associated with a wide range of liver injuries, which is mediated by an imbalance between extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and degradation, leading to massive ECM deposition and disruption of normal liver architecture. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the main source of ECM during liver fibrosis and are the first identified cell subpopulation associated with liver fibrosis formation. Various current studies on the mechanism and treatment of liver fibrosis require resting‐state HSCs as study subjects. However, spontaneous activation of primary HSCs occurs after 2–3 days of culture after isolation, and it is common that HSCs cell lines gradually differentiate into fibroblasts with culture time. This study provides an induction medium for quiescent HSCs‐containing all‐trans retinoic acid, sodium oleate, and S‐nitroso‐N‐acetyl penicillamine (SNAP)‐and an induction method. The induction method not only maintains the HSCs cell line in a quiescent state but also restores the activated HSCs to a quiescent state. The method has a good induction effect, short induction time, and convenient operation, which is worth being popularized and used in a wide range of laboratories.