Discovery of Sophoridine α-Aryl Propionamide Derivative as a Novel Antihepatic Fibrosis Agent.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation is a key event in the development of liver fibrosis, and blockage of the activation of HSCs has been shown to alleviate liver fibrosis. Sophoridine, a bioactive alkaloid found in many Chinese herbs, exhibits a broad spectrum of pharmacological effects, but its activities are not strong. In this study, a series of structurally modified derivatives of sophoridine were designed and synthesized. Among them, sophoridine α-aryl propionamide derivative displayed a significant inhibitory effect on the activation of HSCs. The in vivo experiment demonstrated that markedly ameliorated carbon tetrachloride (CCl) and bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver fibrosis with a significant improvement of extracellular matrix deposition. Mechanism investigations revealed that specifically inhibited the activation of NF-κB, PI-3K/AKT, and TGF-β/Smads signaling pathways. These results suggest that has a protective effect on liver fibrosis, which provides a new candidate for the treatment of liver fibrosis.