Berberine ameliorates renal injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by suppression of both oxidative stress and aldose reductase.
BACKGROUND
Berberine is one of the main constituents of Coptidis rhizoma (CR) and Cortex phellodendri. In this study, we investigated the beneficial effects of berberine on renal function and its possible mechanisms in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN).


METHODS
Male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: normal, diabetic model, and berberine treatment groups. Rats in the diabetic model and berberine treatment groups were induced to diabetes by intraperitonal injection with streptozotocin (STZ). Glomerular area, glomerular volume, fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Cr) and urine protein for 24 hours (UP24h) were measured using commercially available kits. Meanwhile, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum, activity of aldose reductase (AR) and the expression of AR mRNA and protein in kidney were detected by different methods.


RESULTS
The results showed that oral administration of berberine (200 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) significantly ameliorated the ratio of kidney weight to body weight. Glomerular area, glomerular volume, FBG, BUN, Cr and UP24h were significantly decreased in the berberine treatment group compared with the diabetic model group (P < 0.05). Berberine treatment significantly increased serum SOD activity and decreased the content of MDA compared with diabetic model group (P < 0.05). AR activity as well as the expression of AR mRNA and protein in the kidney was markedly decreased in the berberine treatment group compared with diabetic model group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested that berberine could ameliorate renal dysfunction in DN rats through controlling blood glucose, reduction of oxidative stress and inhibition of the activation of the polyol pathway.
Liu
Wei-hua
WH
School of Pharmaceutical Science of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.
Hei
Zi-qing
ZQ
Nie
Hong
H
Tang
Fu-tian
FT
Huang
He-qing
HQ
Li
Xue-juan
XJ
Deng
Yan-hui
YH
Chen
Shao-rui
SR
Guo
Fen-fen
FF
Huang
Wen-ge
WG
Chen
Feng-ying
FY
Liu
Pei-qing
PQ
D000449:Aldehyde Reductase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000818:Animals; D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013311:Streptozocin
D001599:Berberine; D013311:Streptozocin; D000449:Aldehyde Reductase