Protective effect of berberine chloride on Plasmodium chabaudi-induced hepatic tissue injury in mice.
The present study aimed to investigate the protective role of berberine (BER) against Plasmodium chabaudi-induced infection in mice. Animals were divided into three groups. Group I served as a vehicle control. Group II and group III were infected with 1000 P. chabaudi infected erythrocytes. Group III was gavaged with 100 μl of 10 mg/kg berberine chloride for 10 days. All mice were sacrificed at day 10 post-infection. The percentage of parasitemia was significantly reduced more than 30%, after treatment of mice with BER. Infection caused marked hepatic injuries as indicated by histopathological alterations as evidenced by the presence of hepatic lobular inflammatory cellular infiltrations, dilated sinusoids, vacuolated hepatocytes, increased number of Kupffer cells and the malaria pigment, hemozoin. These changes in livers led to the increased histological score. Also, infection induced a significant increase in liver alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and a significant increase in the total leucocytic count. Moreover, mice became anemic as proved by the significant decrease in erythrocyte number and haemoglobin content. BER showed a significant protective potential by improving the above mentioned parameters. Based on these results, it is concluded that berberine could offer protection against hepatic tissue damage.
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia ; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Egypt.
Mohamed A
MA
Dkhil
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
Saleh
S
Al-Quraishy
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed
A
Al-Shamrany
Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Egypt.
Ahmed S
AS
Alazzouni
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia ; General Directorate of Environmental and Occupational Health, Public Health Agency, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mahmoud Y
MY
Lubbad
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
Esam M
EM
Al-Shaebi
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
Noory T
NT
Taib
Berberine; Liver; Mice; Plasmodium chabaudi