(+)-Catechin is a type of catechin present in large amounts in açaí fruits and cocoa seeds. Besides its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, little is known about its effects in the liver, especially during hepatic fibrosis. We report here the effects of (+)-catechin on hepatic stellate cells. (+)-Catechin induced quiescent phenotype in GRX cells, along with an increase in lipid droplets. Proliferator-activated receptor γ mRNA expression was upregulated, whereas type I collagen mRNA expression was downregulated. Pro-inflammatory cytokines were not influenced by (+)-catechin, whereas the levels of interleukin 10 were significantly increased. The data provide evidence that (+)-catechin can reduce hepatic stellate cell activation.
Keywords: catechin; hepatic stellate cell; inflammation; liver fibrosis; peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ; type I collagen.
© 2013 International Federation for Cell Biology.