title: Berberine attenuates ischemia-reperfusion injury via regulation of adenosine-5'-monophosphate kinase activity in both non-ischemic and ischemic areas of the rat heart.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Berberine exhibits numerous pharmacological effects, but the mechanism for its protective effects against ischemia-reperfusion cardiac injury is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Wistar rats were treated with berberine (100 mg/Kg/day, ig) for 14 days and controls treated with water. Hearts were isolated in vitro and perfused in the Langendorff mode and subjected to 30 min of global ischemia followed by 30 min of reperfusion and hemodynamic data examined. In a separate set of experiments, hearts were subjected in vivo to left anterior descending coronary artery ligation for 30 min followed by 120 min reperfusion and hemodynamic data, type and duration of arrhythmias, and myocardial infarct size determined. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) level, ADP/ATP and AMP/ATP ratios were examined in non-ischemic areas and risk areas of the heart.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subsequent to ischemia-reperfusion injury, left ventricular developed pressure, left ventricular end diastolic pressure and maximum rate of intraventricular pressure contractility and relaxation were significantly improved in the berberine treatment groups compared to controls. Berberine treatment decreased infarct size and diminished the duration and incidence of arrhythmias compared to controls. Berberine treatment significantly decreased AMPK protein concentration, and the ratio of ADP/ATP and AMP/ATP in the myocardial risk areas. In contrast, berberine treatment significantly increased AMPK protein concentration, and the ratio of ADP/ATP and AMP/ATP in the non-ischemia areas compared to controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that berberine may exert its cardioprotective effect on ischemia-reperfusion injury via regulation of AMPK activity in both non-ischemic areas and risk areas of the heart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Norman Bethune Medical College, Jilin University, 126 Xin Min Street, Changchun, 130021, China.
authors.forename: Wenguang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhaojie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Shengnan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Grant M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hatch
mesh_terms: D000227:Adenine Nucleotides / Q000378:metabolism; D000263:Adenylate Kinase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006439:Hemodynamics; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000188:drug therapy; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000227:Adenine Nucleotides; D001599:Berberine; D000263:Adenylate Kinase