To explore the ameliorative effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on TGF-β1-induced cardiac fibrosis in cardiac fibroblasts (CFs).

Mouse primary CFs were cultured and treated with 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 to induce fibrosis. After treatment with LBP, the morphology of cells was observed by microscopy. The expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was detected by immunofluorescence. Western blot was used to detect the expression and phosphorylation levels of proteins involved in the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway. The mRNA expression levels of Snail, Twist and S100A4 were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Compared with the control group (spindle-like in shape), the morphology of TGF-β1-induced cells was longer and narrower, and the number of cells increased significantly. The relative expression level of α-SMA, and the expression and phosphorylation levels of proteins involved in the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway increased, and the mRNA expression of Snail, Twist and S100A4 was significantly elevated (P < 0.01). After treatment with LBP, the proliferation of CFs induced by TGF-β1 was significantly inhibited (P < 0.001), the expression of α-SMA and proteins involved in the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway in CFs decreased, and the mRNA expression of Snail, Twist and S100A4 was down-regulated (P < 0.001).

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide can ameliorate TGF-β1-induced cardiac fibrosis, in CFs and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway.

To investigate the protective effect of chlorogenic acid from Lycium barbarum on cardiac fibroblast (CF) fibrosis induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1).

A TGF-β1 concentration of 10 ng/mL was used to induce CF fibrosis. The CFs were further treated with different concentrations of chlorogenic acid, and their proliferation was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The expression of the fibrosis markers collagen (Col) Ⅰ and Col Ⅲ was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) by immunofluorescence. The mRNA expression levels of Acta2, Twist1, Snail1, Snail2, Smad4 and S100A4 were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Western blot analysis was used to evaluate the expression levels TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway-related proteins and their phosphorylation levels.

Chlorogenic acid from Lycium barbarum could inhibit abnormal cell proliferation, and down-regulate the expression of Col Ⅰ, Col Ⅲ and α-SMA, the mRNA expression of Acta2, Twist1, Snail1, Snail2, Smad4 and S100A4 (P < 0.001) and the expression of the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway-related proteins (P < 0.001).

Within the concentration range tested in this study, chlorogenic acid from Lycium barbarum inhibits the fibrosis process of CFs induced by TGF-β1, and the mechanism may be related to the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway.