title: Berberine alleviates ischemic arrhythmias via recovering depressed I(to) and I(Ca) currents in diabetic rats.
abstract: The present study was designed to elucidate the potential mechanism underlying that berberine suppressed ischemic arrhythmias in a rat model of diabetes mellitus (DM). Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were subjected to ischemia by the occlusion of left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Berberine was orally administered for 7 days before ischemic injury in diabetic rats. Whole-cell patch-clamp was performed to measure the transient outward K⁺ current (I(to)) and L-type Ca²⁺ current (I(Ca)). Results showed that oral administration of berberine (100 mg/kg) attenuated ischemia-induced arrhythmias in diabetic rats. Berberine significantly shortened the prolonged QTc interval from 214 ± 6ms to 189 ± 5ms in ischemic diabetic rats, and also restored the diminished I(to) and I(Ca) current densities in the same animal model rats. In conclusion, the ability of berberine to protect diabetic rats against cardiac arrhythmias makes it possible to be a prospective therapeutic agent in clinical management of cardiac disease secondary to diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The Second affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China.
authors.forename: Li-Hong
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xue-Lian
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Hai-Jing
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yu-Qian
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong-Li
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Shan
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001599:Berberine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000378:metabolism*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D015221:Potassium Channels; D001599:Berberine; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium