Abstract:

Objective  To investigate the effect of Echinococcus multilocularis cyst fluid on five MAPK （mitogen-activated protein kinase）-pathway genes of rat hepatic stellate cell.  Methods  Rat hepatic stellate cell line， HSC-T6 cells were co-cultured with different protein concentrations of E. multilocularis cyst fluid（0.01， 0.025， 0.05， 0.1， 0.2， 0.4， 0.9， 1.7， 3.4， 6.8， and 13.5 mg/ml） for 24 h. HSC-T6 cells cultured with complete medium served as control group. The morphological change of cells was observed under the microscope. The expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）， c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK） and mitogen-activated protein kinase（p38） in HSC-T6 cells was detected by real time fluorescent quantitative PCR.  Results  After co-cultured for 24 h， most HSC-T6 cells in 13.5 mg/ml group shrank as a precursor to slough off； In 6.8 mg/ml group， some HSC?鄄T6 cells shrank and changed to long fusiform shape with many slender pseudopodia； In 3.4 mg/ml group， most HSC-T6 cells showed as adherent cells with an irregular polygon shape， formed a sheet with short pseudopodia. There was no difference in cell morphology between <1.7 mg/ml groups and control group. When the protein concentration was above 1.7 mg/ml， the mRNA level of ERK1/2， JNK1/2， and P38 increased significantly increased. In 6.8 mg/ml cyst fluid group， the mRNA level of ERK1/2， JNK1/2， and P38 was higher than that of the control （P<0.05）.  Conclusion  6.8 mg/ml Echinococcus multilocularis cyst fluid can have a significant impact on mRNA levels of ERK1/2， JNK1/2 and p38 in rat hepatic stellate cells.

Key words: Echinococcus multilocularis, Cyst fluid, Rat, Hepatic stellate cell, Mitogen-activated protein kinase