The inhibitory effect of ursodeoxycholic acid and pentoxifylline on platelet derived growth factor-stimulated proliferation is distinct from an effect by cyclic AMP

This study assessed the ability of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and one of its metabolites, tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), to inhibit platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulated fibroproliferation and compared these results to the effect of pentoxifylline and its metabolite-1 [1-(5-hydroxyhexyl)-3,7-dimethylxanthine] and assessed the potential role of cyclic AMP in this process. Fibroproliferative activity was measured by the tritiated thymidine uptake assay in human fibroblast cultures. All four compounds: pentoxifylline, metabolite-1, UDCA and TUDCA inhibited the fibroproliferative activity stimulated by PDGF (8 ng/ml). Incubation of fibroblasts with dibutyryl cyclic AMP reduced proliferation stimulated by PDGF suggesting that the PDGF stimulated proliferation was sensitive to inhibition by a membrane permeable analogue of cyclic AMP. Incubation of myofibroblasts with dibutyryl cyclic AMP significantly inhibited PDGF stimulated proliferation suggesting that cyclic AMP can regulate PDGF stimulated proliferation in the myofibroblast. To determine if the effect of pentoxifylline on fibroproliferation was mediated by cyclic AMP, we used dideoxyadenosine, a potent inhibitor of adenylyl cyclase. The effect of pentoxifylline on fibroproliferation was not prevented by dideoxyadenosine, which inhibits formation of cyclic AMP, thus suggesting that the inhibitory effect of pentoxifylline on PDGF-stimulated proliferation of fibroblasts was not mediated by cyclic AMP, arguing against a role for cyclic AMP in this process. Combinations of UDCA (250 μM) plus pentoxifylline (120 μM) or UDCA (250 μM) plus TUDCA (250 μM) inhibited fibroproliferative activity stimulated by PDGF to a greater extent than either drug alone. As UDCA has been reported to decrease cyclic AMP these results argue against a role for cyclic AMP in this process. Finally the results suggest that UDCA may inhibit PDGF-stimulated proliferation via an inhibition of C-kinase. Copyright (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.