Acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT, EC 2.3.1.26) is the primary cellular enzyme that catalyzes the formation of cholesteryl esters from cholesterol and fatty acyl-coenzyme A. It has been identified that two isoenzymes, ACAT-1 and ACAT-2, have different cell locations, membrane orientations, and metabolic functions. Atherosclerotic lesions are associated with the accumulation of c...

Flavonoids from Sophora flavescens were selectively extracted by mechanochemical-promoted extraction technology (MPET) after using response surface methodology to determine the optimal extraction parameters. The highest yield of 35.17 mg/g was achieved by grinding the roots with Na₂CO₃ (15%) at 440 rpm/min for 17.0 min and water was used as the sole solvent with a ratio of solvent to solid mate...

Sophora flavescens (SF) is an herbal medicine widely used for the treatment of viral hepatitis, cancer, viral myocarditis, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and skin diseases. It was recently reported that SF up-regulates CYP3A expression. The mechanism of SF-induced CYP3A expression is unknown. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that SF-induced CYP3A expression is mediated by the activa...

Matrine (Mat) is a major alkaloid extracted from Sophora flavescens Ait, an herb which is used in the traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of inflammation, cancer, and other diseases. The present study examined the impact of Mat on the CCl4-induced hepatic infiltration of Gr1(hi) monocytes to explore the possible mechanisms underlying its anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects. The re...

Lamellar hard carbon derived from holly leaf with enlarged pores of tiny graphite-like domains and meso-pores was prepared by hydrothermal followed high temperature pyrolysis process. Benefiting from the enlarged nano-pores of tiny graphite-like domains and the thin sheet structure with meso-pores, the derived carbon delivered a high reversible capacity of 318 mAh g(-1) at a current rate of 20 ...

Effects of ethanol extracts of three Chinese medicinal plants, namely, Qinpi (Fraxini cortex), Kushen (Sophora flavescens, AITON), and Huanglian (Coptis teeta, WALLICH), on ion transport of the rat intestinal epithelia were determined in this study. Rat intestinal epithelia mounted in an Ussing chamber attached to a voltage/current clamp were used for measuring changes in the short circuit curr...