title: In vitro anti-fibrotic activities of herbal compounds and herbs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We recently developed high-throughput assays of inflammation-independent anti-fibrotic activities based on TGF-beta1-induced total collagen accumulation and nodule formation in normal rat kidney fibroblasts.
  
  
  METHODS
  These assays were applied to examine the anti-fibrotic activities of 21 compounds isolated from plants used in Chinese medicine and methanol extracts of 12 Chinese herbs. Lactate dehydrogenase release assay and cell detachment index were used to monitor cytotoxicity. Changes in fibrogenic molecular markers were observed by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction and high-content imaging analysis of immunofluorescence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three flavonoids (quercetin, baicalein and baicalin) and two non-flavonoids (salvianolic acid B and emodin) demonstrated anti-fibrotic activities in both total collagen accumulation and nodule formation assays. The remaining 16 compounds had little anti-fibrotic effect or were cytotoxic. The anti-fibrotic compounds suppressed collagen I expression at both mRNA and protein levels and also variably suppressed alpha-smooth muscle actin expression and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. Methanol extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and Rheum palmatum L., which are rich sources of baicalein, baicalin, salvianolic acid B and emodin, respectively, also showed in vitro anti-fibrotic activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Five herbal compounds and three herbal extracts have in vitro anti-fibrotic activities. These data warrant further studies on these anti-fibrotic entities and suggest it a promising strategy to discover new anti-fibrotic drugs by screening more plant materials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Renal Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Mazhar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noor
authors.forename: Yuen Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hylands
authors.forename: Monique S J
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Simmonds
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Bruce M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Hendry
authors.forename: Qihe
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations