title: Berberine prevents damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier during early phase of sepsis in rat through mechanisms independent of the NOD-like receptors signaling pathway.
abstract: NOD-like receptors play a crucial role in host defense against intestinal infection. We explored the regulatory effects of berberine on NLRs during the intestinal mucosal damaging process in rats. Male Sprague-Dawlay (SD) rats were treated with berberine for 5d before undergoing cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to induce polymicrobiol sepsis. The expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2), NLR family-pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), the activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), the levels of selected cytokines and chemokines, percentage of cell death in intestinal epithelial cells, and mucosal permeability were investigated at 0h, 2h, 6h, 12h and 24h after CLP. Results showed that the Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) level in were significantly lower in berberine treated rats compared to the control animals. The tight junction proteins level, percentage of cell death in intestinal epithelial cells and the mucosal permeability were, on the other hand, significantly elevated in berberine treated rats. The expression of NOD and NLRP3, however, were not significantly affected by berberine treatment. Our results indicate that Pretreatment with berberine attenuates tissue injury and protects the intestinal mucosal barrier in early phase of sepsis but it is likely that the mechanisms of this preventive effect do not involve the NLR pathway.
authors: Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, 190 Jieyuan Street, Hongqiao District, Tianjin 300121, China.
authors: Guo-xun
authors: GX
authors: Li
authors: Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, 190 Jieyuan Street, Hongqiao District, Tianjin 300121, China.
authors: Xi-mo
authors: XM
authors: Wang
authors: Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, 190 Jieyuan Street, Hongqiao District, Tianjin 300121, China.
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Jiang
authors: Institute of General Surgery, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, 305 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing 210002, China.
authors: Jian-feng
authors: JF
authors: Gong
authors: Institute of General Surgery, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, 305 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing 210002, China.
authors: Ling-ying
authors: LY
authors: Niu
authors: Institute of General Surgery, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, 305 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing 210002, China. Electronic address: liningpre@163.com.
authors: Ning
authors: N
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D062506:Claudin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D000071199:NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; D053473:Nod2 Signaling Adaptor Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010539:Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018805:Sepsis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D062506:Claudin-4; D015850:Interleukin-6; D000071199:NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; C512493:NOD2 protein, rat; C573346:Nlrp3 protein, rat; D053473:Nod2 Signaling Adaptor Protein; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D001599:Berberine
keywords: Berberine; Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP); Intestinal mucosal barrier; Intra-abdominal infections; Tight junction proteins