Fig. 1.

Effect of low concentrations of matrine on the metabolic functions of primary human hepatocytes. a The chemical structure of matrine. b Albumin secretion in human hepatocyte cultures treated with different concentrations of matrine (0, 7, 14, 21, and 140 mg/L) was measured in the supernatant at days 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 after the cells were seeded. Each value represents the mean of triplicates of 3 individually performed experiments ± SD. (*, P < 0.05 vs control group at the same day) c The activity of ECOD-associated CYP enzymes induced by PB (2 mM), matrine (7, 14, 21 and 140 mg/L) or a combination of matrine and PB. The values represent the mean of triplicates ± SD of five individually performed experiments and are expressed as nMol/L (*, P < 0.05 vs control (CT)). Time and dose dependent protein expressions of CYP3A4 (d), CYP2A6 (e) and CYP2B6 (f) in human hepatocytes cultured with different concentrations of matrine (upper panels). Lower panels of d, e and f present of the statistical analysis for expression of CYP3A4, CYP2A6 and CYP2B6. (*, P < 0.05 vs control)