Oxymatrine inhibits aldosterone-induced rat cardiac fibroblast proliferation and differentiation by attenuating smad-2,-3 and-4 expression: an in vitro study.

Background We previously demonstrated oxymatrine, an alkaloid from the Chinese medicine radix Sophorae flavescentis, ameliorates hemodynamic disturbances and cardiac fibrosis; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, we investigated the effect and mechanism of action of oxymatrine on aldosterone-induced cardiac fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation in vitro.