Anti-proliferation action of taurine on rat cardiac fibroblast through inhibiting protein kinase Cα expression

This project aimed to investigate the effect of taurine on cell cycle regulatory protein p27, Cyclin D₁ and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 in the proliferation of cultured neonatal rat cardiac fibroblast (CFb) induced by angiotensinⅡ (AngⅡ), and to explore the effect of taurine on the signal transduction pathway in CFb proliferation.  The cultured neonatal rat CFbs were isolated by trypsin digestion method.  The proliferation of CFb was induced by Ang Ⅱ and detected with thiazole blue (MTT) colorimetric assay.  The protein expression of p-PKCα in cells was determined with Western blotting technology.  The expression of p27 was analyzed by flow cytometry.  The expression of Cyclin D₁ was determined with the combination of immunocytochemical staining and image analysis software.  The nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 was determined with immunofluorescence staining.  Among the concentrations ranged from 40 to 160 mmol·L⁻¹, taurine significantly inhibited p-PKCα  expression.  Taurine increased p27 expression and inhibited the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 in CFb   (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively) by inhibition of p-PKCα expression.  And PKC inhibitor (Che) could improve the inhibitory action of taurine on CFb proliferation.  The effects of taurine on CFb proliferation might be due  to inhibition of p-PKCα expression and p27 expression increase and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65   inhibition followed.