[Protective effect of berberine on cardiac myocyte injured by ischemia-reperfusion].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the protective effect of berberine on cardiac myocyte injured by ischemia-reperfusion(I/R) in neonatal rats.


METHODS
Cardiac myocytes from neonatal SD rat were cultured and pretreated with berberine in three different concentrations, 1.5 x 10(-6) mol/L, 1.5 x 10(-5) mol/L and 1.5 x 10(-4) mol/L, before exposure to hypoxia (95% N2-5% CO2) for 24 h and reoxygenation (95% air-5% CO2) for 1 h to create cell model of ischemia-reperfusion. Then lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) release superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured, and cell apoptosis was detected.


RESULTS
Compared with the measurements taken in normal group, the LDH and MDA in the supernatant of the cells in ischemia and reperfusion group increased highly (P < 0.01), SOD activity decreased sharply (P < 0.01), and apoptosis of cells in ischemia groups and reperfusion groups increased highly (P < 0.01). Pretreatment of myocytes with berberine resulted in reduction in LDH and MDA release (P < 0.01) in I/R groups, attenuation of apoptosis in ischemia and reperfusion groups (P < 0.01). When the concentration of berberine was increased, these effects were getting obvious. Especially when the myocytes were pretreated with berberine at 1.5 x 10(-5) mmol/L, the cell apoptosis rates were 14.4% and 20% in ischemia group and reperfusion group, which were lower than the rates of 17.4% and 41% before pretreatment, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Berberine alleviates I/R injury and attenuates apoptosis in myocytes exposed to I/R. These effects partly depend on the concentration of berberine.
Zheng
Lingyun
L
Department of Physiology, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Zhou
Zuyu
Z
Tao
Dachang
D
Lan
Tingjian
T
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
D001599:Berberine; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase