The objective of this study was to determine the effect of resveratrol (Res) treatment on pathological scar fibroblasts and the changes in TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway. For this purpose, cultured pathological scar fibroblasts were treated with various concentrations of Res (10, 50, and, 100 µmol/l), and the morphological changes in target cells were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The cellular proliferation was assessed by MTT assay; the mRNA and protein expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad-2,3,4,7 were determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence assay, respectively. We found that Res-treated fibroblasts exhibited the typical apoptotic morphological changes. As shown by MTT assay, the OD values of Res-treated fibroblasts, as a measure of cell growth, were significantly lower than those of controls (P < 0.05). In addition, as compared to controls, TGF-β1 and Smad-2,3,4 mRNA/protein expression decreased but those of Smad7 increased in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). It was, therefore, concluded that Res treatment inhibited the pathological scar fibroblast proliferation and induced cell apoptosis through the mechanism involving downregulation of TGF-β1, Smad-2,3,4, and upregulation of Smad7.
Keywords: Fibroblasts; Pathological scar; Resveratrol; TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway.