Effects of salvianolic acid A on Wnt signaling pathway in cardiac fibroblasts stimulated by high concentration glucose

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of salvianolic acid A on Wnt signaling pathway in cardiac fibroblasts(CFs) induced by high concentration glucose.

MethodsCell proliferation model was established by stimulating CFs with high concentration glucose, 22 mg/L captopril was used as western medicine control, and CFs were treated with different concentrations of salvianolic acid A.MTT assay was used to detect the proliferation ability of cells, flow cytometry was applied to analyze the cell proliferation cycle, and ELISA was employed to determine the production of type Ⅰ collagen, type Ⅲ collagen and protein secretion of transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1), and Western blotting was performed to detect the protein expression level of β-catenin, GSK-3β and p-GSK-3β.

ResultsAfter treatment for 24 and 48 hours, compared with the model control group, 25, 50 and 100 mg/L salvianolic acid A could significantly inhibit cell proliferation(P < 0.01).Compared with the model control group, 25, 50 and 100 mg/L salvianolic acid A inhibited the secretion of type Ⅰ collagen and type Ⅲ collagen in CFs(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01);50 and 100 mg/L salvianolic acid A significantly inhibited the TGF-β1 production and β-catenin expression(P < 0.01);100 mg/L salvianolic acid A upregulated p-GSK-3β expression(P < 0.05).

ConclusionsSalvianolic acid A can inhibit the proliferation, collagen secretion and TGF-β1 production of CFs induced by high concentration glucose, the mechanism of which may be related to the inhibition of Wnt signaling pathway.