Statins activate the canonical hedgehog-signaling and aggravate non-cirrhotic portal hypertension, but inhibit the non-canonical hedgehog signaling and cirrhotic portal hypertension.

ABSTRACT: Liver cirrhosis but also portal vein obstruction cause portal hypertension (PHT) and angiogenesis. This study investigated the differences of angiogenesis in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic PHT with special emphasis on the canonical (Shh/Gli) and non-canonical (Shh/RhoA) hedgehog pathway. Cirrhotic (bile duct ligation/BDL; CCl4 intoxication) and non-cirrhotic (partial portal vein ligation/PPVL) rats received either atorvastatin (15 mg/kg; 7d) or control chow before sacrifice. Invasive hemodynamic measurement and Matrigel implantation assessed angiogenesis in vivo. Angiogenesis in vitro was analysed using migration and tube formation assay. In liver and vessel samples from animals and humans, transcript expression was analyzed using RT-PCR and protein expression using Western blot. Atorvastatin

SUBMITTER: Uschner FE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4585958 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature