Hui-Hui Sun1, Jing-Cheng Wang1, Xin-Min Feng1, Shou-Lei Zhu1, Jun Cai2. 1. Department of Orthopedics, Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China. 2. Department of Orthopedics, Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: jun_cai_spine@163.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Allicin can suppress liver and cardiac fibrosis; thus, we hypothesized that it might prevent scar tissue from extensive epidural fibrosis after laminectomy. METHODS: Human epidural scar fibroblasts were isolated from surgical specimens and treated with allicin at a gradient of concentrations. Morphology, viability, migration rate, cell cycle, and apoptosis rate were measured by fluorescence microscope, Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, scratch assay, and flow cytometry. Western blot was used to measure the expression level of proliferation-related proteins. RESULTS: After treatment by allicin, cell viability (P = 0.042) and migration rate (P = 0.010 in scratch assay and P = 0.025 in transwell assay) decreased significantly in a dose-dependent manner. The percentage of G1 phase cells significantly decreased (P = 0.017), whereas the percentage of S phase cells (P = 0.096) and G2 phase cells (P = 0.038) significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, the percentage of apoptotic cells increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner (P = 0.036). Compared with the control group, the expression level of proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein (P = 0.081) and Bcl-2 protein (P = 0.029) significantly decreased, whereas the BAX protein level significantly increased (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Allicin can suppress human epidural scar fibroblast migration, induce cell apoptosis, and block cell proliferation at S phase and G2 phase.
BACKGROUND:Allicin can suppress liver and cardiac fibrosis; thus, we hypothesized that it might prevent scar tissue from extensive epidural fibrosis after laminectomy. METHODS:Human epidural scar fibroblasts were isolated from surgical specimens and treated with allicin at a gradient of concentrations. Morphology, viability, migration rate, cell cycle, and apoptosis rate were measured by fluorescence microscope, Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, scratch assay, and flow cytometry. Western blot was used to measure the expression level of proliferation-related proteins. RESULTS: After treatment by allicin, cell viability (P = 0.042) and migration rate (P = 0.010 in scratch assay and P = 0.025 in transwell assay) decreased significantly in a dose-dependent manner. The percentage of G1 phase cells significantly decreased (P = 0.017), whereas the percentage of S phase cells (P = 0.096) and G2 phase cells (P = 0.038) significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, the percentage of apoptotic cells increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner (P = 0.036). Compared with the control group, the expression level of proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein (P = 0.081) and Bcl-2 protein (P = 0.029) significantly decreased, whereas the BAX protein level significantly increased (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS:Allicin can suppress human epidural scar fibroblast migration, induce cell apoptosis, and block cell proliferation at S phase and G2 phase.