Published online Mar 7, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i9.1445
Revised: December 27, 2006
Accepted: March 7, 2007
Published online: March 7, 2007
AIM: To investigate the effects of KN-93, a CaMKII selective inhibitor on cell proliferation and the expression of p53 or p21 protein in human hepatic stellate cells.
METHODS: Human hepatic stellate cells (LX-2) were incubated with various concentrations (0-50 μmol/L) of KN-93 or its inactive derivative, KN-92. Cell proliferation was measured by CCK-8 assay, and the expression of two cell cycle regulators, p53 and p21, was determined by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.
RESULTS: KN-93 (5-50 μmol/L) decreased the proliferation of human hepatic stellate cells in a dose-dependent manner from 81.76% (81.76% ± 2.58% vs 96.63% ± 2.69%, P < 0.05) to 27.15% (27.15% ± 2.86% vs 96.59% ± 2.44%, P < 0.01) after 24 h treatment. Incubation of 10 μmol/L KN-93 induced the cell growth reduction in a time-dependent manner from 78.27% at 8 h to 11.48% at 48 h. However, KN-92, an inactive derivative of KN-93, did not inhibit cell proliferation effectively. Moreover, analysis of cell cycle regulator expression revealed that KN-93 rather than KN-92 reduced the expression of p53 and p21.
CONCLUSION: KN-93 has potent inhibitory effect on proliferation of LX-2 cells by modulating the expression of two special cell cycle regulators, p53 and p21.