Antifibrotic effect of pirfenidone on human pterygium fibroblasts.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The effects of pirfenidone were investigated on cultured human

pterygium fibroblasts (HPFs). METHODS: HPFs were obtained from pterygium surgery

and subjected to primary culture. After treatment with 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5 mg/mL

pirfenidone, MTT and cell migration assays were performed, and procollagen

secretion and TGF-beta expression were measured by Western blotting and

immunofluorescence analysis. RESULTS: Pirfenidone had a significant inhibitory

effect on HPF proliferation, migration and collagen synthesis. There were no

differences between the cells treated with 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/mL pirfenidone and

the controls in the MTT assay. After 48 h of treatment with 1.0 or 1.5 mg/mL

pirfenidone, TGF-beta expression was significantly decreased. CONCLUSIONS: These

findings demonstrate that pirfenidone inhibits the proliferation, migration and

procollagen secretion of HPFs at nontoxic concentrations by decreasing TGF-beta

expression. Thus, pirfenidone may be considered as a safe adjuvant for pterygium

surgery to prevent recurrence.