Tetrandrine inhibits activation of rat hepatic stellate cells stimulated by transforming growth factor-β in vitro via up-regulation of Smad 7

The genus Stephania (Menispermaceae): Chemical and pharmacological perspectives

“…has been used to treat pulmonary consumption, dysentery, fever, abdominal ills (tubers), asthma (tubers and stems), ascariasis, dysmenorrhea (stems), indigestion, wounds, head-ache, sore-breasts (leaves) and leprosy (flowers) (Chopra et al, 1958;Burkill, 1966;Phaet-thanesuara, 1967;Khasiphand and Suksah, 1968;Perry, 1980). The root of S. tetrandra S. Moore have been used in hepatofibrogenic disease (Chen et al, 2005), it also used as diuretic, antiphlogistic, antirheumatic (Joshi et al, 2008), antipyretic and analgesic in China for centuries (Achike and Kwan, 2002). S. cepharantha Hayata has been used to treat many acute and chronic diseases, including venomous snakebites in Japan (Kimoto et al, 1997).…”

Preservation of basal AcSDKP attenuates carbon tetrachloride-induced fibrosis in the rat liver

“…HSCs were isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats (375-400 g) as previously described [16]. Isolated HSCs were suspended in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM, Sigma) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) (10% FBS/ DMEM), 100 IU/ml penicillin and 100 mg/ml streptomycin, and were plated at 2 Â 10 5 /cm 2 on non-coated 6 and 24-well plastic plates (Costar, Corning, NY) and 4-chamber culture slides (BD bioscience).…”

Antifibrotic Compounds from <i>Liriodendron tulipifera</i> Attenuating HSC-T6 Proliferation and TNF-α Production in RAW264.7 Cells

“…31) Hence, antifibrogenic therapy that suppresses the activation of HSCs has been preferentially considered as an attractive target to prevent the pathological progression to cirrhosis in chronic liver diseases. 32,33) HSC-T6 cells, an immortalized rat hepatic stellate cell line, retains major features of activated stellate cells, including expression of desmin, α-smooth muscle actin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein, and it can esterify retinol into retinyl esters. 34) The activation of HSCs can be promoted by addition of serum, cytokines and other factors, 32,33) and also can be induced by the specific culturing conditions in vitro.…”

“…32,33) HSC-T6 cells, an immortalized rat hepatic stellate cell line, retains major features of activated stellate cells, including expression of desmin, α-smooth muscle actin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein, and it can esterify retinol into retinyl esters. 34) The activation of HSCs can be promoted by addition of serum, cytokines and other factors, 32,33) and also can be induced by the specific culturing conditions in vitro. Culturing HSCs on uncoated plastic plates is known to cause spontaneous activation leading to myoblastic phenotype, mimicking the process seen in vivo.…”