title: Matrine improves 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol-induced acute cholestasis in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effects of matrine (MT) on acute intrahepatic cholestasis induced by 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol (EE) in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute intrahepatic cholestasis in rats were induced by EE, and the effects of MT on acute intrahepatic cholestasis were explored and compared with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) by serum biochemical determination and bile excretion experiments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum biochemical and bile biochemical results indicated that MT and UDCA had notable hepatoprotective effects by counteracting cholestasis induced by EE. The bile flow and the bile excretion of glycocholic acid (GC, a substrate of bile salt export pump [Bsep]), ketoprofen glucuronide (KPG) and rhodamine 123 (Rh123, a substrate of multidrug resistance protein 1 [MDR1]) decreased by EE, were significantly improved after administration of MT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MT exhibited potential protection against EE-induced acute intrahepatic cholestasis.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Desheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Junhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xijing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ji