Effect of cholesterol on in vitro cultured interstitial Cajal-like cells isolated from guinea pig gallbladders.

Abstract

BACKGROUNDLoss and/or dysfunction of interstitial Cajal-like cells (ICLCs) in the gallbladder may promote cholesterol gallstone formation by decreasing gallbladder motility.AIMTo study the effect of cholesterol on the proliferation and apoptosis of ICLCs from guinea pig gallbladders.METHODSGuinea pig gallbladder ICLCs were isolated and cultured in vitro. The cells were exposed to cholesterol solutions at different concentrations (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/L) for 24 h. Then, cell proliferation was detected by the CCK-8 method and the apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry. Further, the expression of the c-Kit protein was detected by Western blot and the expression level of c-Kit mRNA in the cells was detected by real-time quantitative PCR.RESULTSAfter ICLCs were cultured with cholesterol at concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 mg/L, the proliferation rates decreased significantly (P < 0.05), whereas the apoptosis rates increased significantly (P < 0.05). Moreover, the expression of c-Kit protein and mRNA decreased significantly (P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONHigh cholesterol concentrations can inhibit the proliferation of ICLCs and promote apoptosis. This decrease in the ICLC proliferation rate might be caused by the inhibition of the stem cell factor/c-Kit signaling pathway.