Adrenaline inhibited cell proliferation and regulated expression of TGF-beta1 and bFGF in cultured human hypertrophic scar fibroblasts via α-receptor

Adrenaline has been shown to modulate proliferation of mouse fibroblasts, adventitial fibroblasts and synovial B (fibroblasts-like) cells. However, little is known about the response of cultured human hypertrophic scar fibroblasts to adrenaline. In this study, we investigated cell proliferation and involved mechanisms in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts in response to adrenaline. Population doubling time (PDT) assay and MTT assay were performed to determine the cell proliferation and cell viability, respectively. The expression of bFGF and TGF-beta 1 was measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that adrenaline inhibited proliferation of normal and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, adrenaline up-regulated the expression of bFGF and down-regulated the expression of TGF-beta 1 in normal and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts. Interestingly incubation with the a receptor antagonist regitine indicated that adrenaline mediated inhibition of cell proliferation and regulation of TGF-beta 1 and bFGF in cultured normal and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts were mediated by the a receptor. These studies suggest that adrenaline inhibits proliferation and alters the expression of TGF-beta 1 and bFGF in human hypertrophic scar fibroblast involving an a receptor mediated pathway.