Objective      To investigate the effect of alcohol extract of Swertia mussotii Franch on regulating hepatic bile acid transporter Mrp4 and transcriptional factor Nrf2.       Methods      Total 14 SD rats were randomly divided into 2 groups (n=7): a control group treated with normal saline

and a treatment group treated with alcohol extract of Swertia mussotii Franch. After treatment for 7 d

liver samples were collected. The expression levels of bile acid transporters Mrp3 and Mrp4

transcriptional factor Nrf2 and nuclear receptor Lrh-1 were measured by immunofluorescence assay

Western blotting and RT-qPCR.       Results      Compared with the control group

the mRNA expression levels of Mrp4

Mrp3

Nrf2 and Lrh-1 in the treatment group were increased by 2.1 times

1.7 times

1.8 times and 1.4 times

respectively

while the protein expression levels of Mrp4

Mrp3

Nrf2 and Lrh-1 were increased by 2.5 times

3 times

2.3 times and 1.3 times

respectively. Furthermore

there was significant positive correlation between the Mrp4 mRNA expression and the Nrf2 mRNA expression in the treatment group.       Conclusion      The alcohol extract of Swertia mussotii Franch promotes hepatic bile acid transporter Mrp4 expression in rats

which may be mediated by transcriptional factor Nrf2.