title: Pharmacokinetic comparisons of berberine and palmatine in normal and metabolic syndrome rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  San-Huang formula is a popular traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation to replenish Qi, resolve phlegm, dissipate blood stasis, and therapy metabolic syndrome in China. Metabolic syndrome, which is accompanied by Qi and blood stasis, mainly arises from spleen deficiency in essence. There is limited information available for differences of pharmacokinetic properties of San-Huang formula between normal and metabolic syndrome rats. The present study was conducted to compare the pharmacokinetics of berberine as well as palmatine in normal and metabolic syndrome rats following oral administration of San-Huang formula extract.
  
  
  METHODS
  The animals were orally administered with San-Huang formula extract with the equivalent dose of 60.4 and 12.5mg/kg for berberine and palmatine, respectively. The blood samples were collected according to the time schedule. The concentrations of berberine and palmatine in rat plasma were determined by LC-ESI/MS. Various pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated from the plasma concentration versus time data using non-compartmental methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that AUC0-t, Cmax, Vd and CL of berberine and palmatine in metabolic syndrome rats were significantly different (P<0.05) from normal rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicated that berberine and palmatine have higher uptake and slower elimination in the rats with metabolic syndrome, which suggests that the rate and extent of drug metabolism were altered in metabolic syndrome rats.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacy Laboratory, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wu Lu Mu Qi M Road, Shanghai 200040, PR China.
authors.forename: Qing-Feng
authors.initials: QF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacy Laboratory, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wu Lu Mu Qi M Road, Shanghai 200040, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Jin
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacy Laboratory, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wu Lu Mu Qi M Road, Shanghai 200040, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Dong
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacy Laboratory, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wu Lu Mu Qi M Road, Shanghai 200040, PR China. Electronic address: wooo_08@163.com.
authors.forename: Ming-kang
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacy Laboratory, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wu Lu Mu Qi M Road, Shanghai 200040, PR China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacy Laboratory, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wu Lu Mu Qi M Road, Shanghai 200040, PR China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001599:Berberine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001600:Berberine Alkaloids / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry; D006207:Half-Life; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D001600:Berberine Alkaloids; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C000591275:San-Huang; D001599:Berberine; C005413:palmatine
keywords: Berberine; Metabolic syndrome; Palmatine; Pharmacokinetics; San-Huang formula extract