title: Berberine attenuates cardiac dysfunction in hyperglycemic and hypercholesterolemic rats.
abstract: The positive effects of berberine (30 mg/kg/day, i.g. for 6 weeks) on cardiac dysfunction were evaluated in the rat model of hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. Hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia were induced by feeding high-sucrose/fat diet (HSFD) consisting of 20% sucrose, 10% lard, 2.5% cholesterol, 1% bile salt for 12 weeks and streptozotocin (30 mg/kg, i.p.). The plasma sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were significantly increased (422, 194 and 82%, respectively) in the HSFD/streptozotocin-treated rats, when compared with control animals receiving normal diet and vehicle. Berberine treatment reduced the plasma sugar and lipid levels by 24-69% in the rat model of hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. Cardiac functions signed as values of cardiac output, left ventricular systolic pressure, the maximum rate of myocardial contraction (+dp/dtmax), left ventricular end diastolic pressure and the maximum rate of myocardial diastole (-dp/dtmax) were injured by 16-55% in the hyperglycemic/hypercholesterolemic rats. Berberine increased cardiac output, left ventricular systolic pressure and +dp/dtmax by 64, 16 and 79%, but decreased left ventricular end diastolic pressure and -dp/dtmax by 121 and 61% in the rats receiving HSFD/streptozotocin, respectively, when compared with the drug-untreated rats of hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. Berberine caused significant increase in cardiac fatty acid transport protein-1 (159%), fatty acid transport proteins (56%), fatty acid beta-oxidase (52%), as well as glucose transporter-4 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), but decrease in PPARα mRNA and protein expression in hyperglycemic/hypercholesterolemic rats. These results indicated that berberine exerted protective effects on cardiac dysfunction induced by hyperglycemia/hypercholesterolemia through alleviating cardiac lipid accumulation and promoting glucose transport.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
authors: Shi-Fen
authors: SF
authors: Dong
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Hong
authors: Ming
authors: M
authors: Liu
authors: Ying-Zhi
authors: YZ
authors: Hao
authors: Hai-Shi
authors: HS
authors: Yu
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Jian-Ning
authors: JN
authors: Sun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D047493:PPAR alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013311:Streptozocin / Q000009:adverse effects; D013395:Sucrose / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004041:Dietary Fats; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D047493:PPAR alpha; D047495:PPAR gamma; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D001599:Berberine; D013395:Sucrose; D013311:Streptozocin