title: The anti-inflammatory potential of berberine in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, has a wide range of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammation, yet the exact mechanism is unknown. Because cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) plays a key role in prostaglandins (PGs) synthesis, which is elevated in inflammation, we examined whether the anti-inflammatory mechanism of berberine is mediated through COX-2 regulation. In oral cancer cell line OC2 and KB cells, a 12 h berberine treatment (1, 10, and 100 microM) reduced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production dose-dependently with or without 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA, 10 nM) induction. This berberine induced effect occurred rapidly (3 h) as a result of reduced COX-2 protein, but not enzyme activity. The electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that activator protein 1 (AP-1) binding was decreased in oral cancer cells treated with berberine for 2 h. Further analysis showed that berberine inhibited AP-1 binding directly. These anti-inflammatory effects paralleled to the in vivo results where berberine pretreatment of Wistar rat inhibited the production of exudates and PGE2 in carrageenan induced air pouch.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chi-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Chin-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Tsung-Yun
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D001599:Berberine; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D015232:Dinoprostone; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D007213:Indomethacin