The effects and mechanisms of curcumin and losartan on angiotensin Ⅱ-induced endothelial-mesenchymal transition
HU Gai-feng
HUANG Yu-li
HUANG Wei-jun
LI Wen-sheng
MAI Lin-lin
TONG Hui-yu
LI Mei-jun
CHENG Hong-ji
SHEN Chang-zao
HU Yun-zhao
Abstract：Objective To investigate the effects of curcumin (Cur) on angiotensin-Ⅱ (Ang Ⅱ)-induced endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) and the mechanisms underlying the anti-fibrotic effect of Cur and losartan.Methods Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured and divided into four groups,normal control group,Ang Ⅱ group,Cur plus Ang Ⅱ group,and losartan plus Ang Ⅱ group.The morphological changes were recorded by microscope.Cell viability was measured by CCK8 assay;the migration ability was tested by Scratch-Wound assay;and Western blot method was used to test the expression of VE-cadherin,α-SMA,and TGF-β1.Results Cellular morphology was significantly different after Ang Ⅱ treatment,showing more spindle-shaped fibroblast phenotypes.However,Cur and losartan blocked the effect of Ang Ⅱ treatment,and the cell morphology was similar to control cells.CCK8 showed that Ang Ⅱ inhibited HUVECs viability in a dose-dependent manner.The viabilities of each group were greater than 50％ (P ＜ 0.05).Scratch-wound assay suggested that Ang Ⅱ significantly promoted the migration ability (P=0.044 for0.μmol/L AngⅡ group,P＜0.01 for 1 μmol/L AngⅡ group),which were reversed by Cur and losartan (both P ＜ 0.05).Pretreatment of HUVECs with Cur and losartan inhibited Ang Ⅱ-induced expression of α-SMA and TGF-β1,and increased the expression of VE-cadherin.And there was no significant difference in the effects of Cur and losartan on α-SMA,TGF-β1, or VE-cadherin (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Cur and losartan inhibit Ang Ⅱ -induced aberrant EndMT by down-regulating TGF-β1 expression.
Keywords：curcuminlosartanendothelial-mesenchymal transitionangiotensin Ⅱ
Publication Date：2017-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：4( 821-824 )