title: Berberine-induced decline in circulating CD31+/CD42- microparticles is associated with improvement of endothelial function in humans.
abstract: Elevated circulating endothelial microparticles (EMPs) are associated with endothelial dysfunction. This study is to investigate whether berberine-induced fall in circulating EMPs facilitates improvement of endothelial function in healthy subjects. Fourteen healthy subjects received 1-month berberine therapy (1.2 g/d) and 11 healthy subjects served as control. Circulating EMPs were measured by flow cytometric analysis before and after therapy. Brachial artery endothelium-dependent and -independent function was assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and sublinqual nitroglyceride-mediated vasodilation (NMD). In vitro, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were stimulated by EMPs (10(6)/ml) with or without the presence of berberine (10 microM). Intracellular endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein expression was detected by flow cytometry. After berberine therapy, circulating CD31(+)/CD42(-) microparticles were reduced, which was in parallel with the improvement of flow-mediated vasodilation while nitroglyceride-mediated vasodilation kept unchanged. A robust relationship was found between drop of circulating CD31(+)/CD42(-) microparticles and increased flow-mediated vasodilation. The EMPs in vitro led to diminished eNOS protein expression in HUVECs and this EMP-mediated detrimental effect was markedly inhibited by berberine. Berberine-induced decline in circulating CD31(+)/CD42(-) microparticles contributes to upregulation of endothelial function in healthy subjects. Deceasing EMPs may be a novel therapeutic target for the improvement of endothelial dysfunction in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hypertension & Vascular Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
authors.forename: Jie-mei
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ming-guo
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055252:Cell-Derived Microparticles / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D019038:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIb-IX Complex; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D019038:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIb-IX Complex; D001599:Berberine; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III