Berberine attenuates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in C57 BL/6 mice.
BACKGROUND
Berberine, an isoquinoline derivative alkaloid, has a wide range of pharmacological properties and is considered to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. However, there are no reports about the effects and mechanisms of berberine in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an established model of multiple sclerosis (MS).


RESULTS
Female C57 BL/6 mice immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 35-55 amino acid peptide were treated with berberine at the day of disease onset and medication was administered daily until mice were sacrificed. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and the alteration of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2, 72 kDa) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9, 92 kDa) in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of EAE mice were detected by quantitative measurement for Evan's blue (EB) content, Western blot and gelatin zymography respectively. The results showed that berberine attenuated clinical and pathological parameters of EAE, reduced the permeability of BBB, inhibited the activity and expression of MMP-9 but not MMP-2 in the CSF and brain of EAE mice.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that berberine is effective to attenuate the clinical severity of EAE in C57 BL/6 mice by reducing the permeability of BBB, decreasing the expression and activity of MMP-9, and decreasing the inflammatory infiltration. We think that berberine might be a potential therapeutic agent for MS.
Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Xiaomeng
X
Ma
Ying
Y
Jiang
Aimin
A
Wu
Xiaohong
X
Chen
Rongbiao
R
Pi
Mei
M
Liu
Yingying
Y
Liu
D000818:Animals; D001599:Berberine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D001599:Berberine