Establishment of a Reporter Gene-Based Drug Screening System for Identifying Herbal up-Regulators of ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter A1

ABCA1 promotes the cholesterol and phospholipid efflux from peripherial cells.The promoter of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 gene was cloned into pGL3B-neo vector containing luciferase gene and neomycin resistance gene.The recombinant reporter gene vector pGL3B-neo/ABCA1 was then transfected into hepG2 cells and therefore the stable cell line SABCA1 was obtained.Using this cell-based drug screening system,more than 100 herbal extracts were screened.Through luciferase activity testing,four extracts,shown more than 180% relative activity on SABCA1 cells,were regarded as active samples and the water extract of Euonymus alatus(Thunb.) Sieb.was identified and its EC_(50) value was tested.Furthermore,an apoA1 gene based drug screening system was also used to confirm that the water extract of Euonymus alatus(Thunb.) Sieb.is capable of activating apoA1 gene expression.This herbal medicine extract is eikely to be an effective novel medicine for atheromatosis.