Berberine-induced Inactivation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 5 Signaling Promotes Male-specific Expression of a Bile Acid Uptake Transporter.
Sodium-taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (Ntcp/NTCP) is the major uptake transporter of bile salts in mouse and human livers. In certain diseases, including endotoxemia, cholestasis, diabetes, and hepatocarcinoma, Ntcp/NTCP expression is markedly reduced, which interferes with enterohepatic circulation of bile salts, impairing the absorption of lipophilic compounds. Therefore, normal Ntcp/NTCP expression in the liver is physiologically important. Berberine is an herbal medicine used historically to improve liver function and has recently been shown to repress STAT signaling. However, berberine effects on Ntcp/NTCP expression are unknown, prompting use to investigate this possible connection. Our results showed that berberine dose-dependently increased Ntcp expression in male mouse liver and decreased taurocholic acid levels in serum but increased them in the liver. In mouse and human hepatoma cells, berberine induced Ntcp/NTCP mRNA and protein expression and increased cellular uptake of [3H] taurocholate. Mechanistically, berberine decreased nuclear protein levels of phospho-JAK2 and phospho-STAT5, thus disrupting the JAK2-STAT5 signaling. Moreover, berberine stimulated luciferase reporter expression from the mouse Ntcp promoter when one putative STAT5 response element (RE) (-1137 bp) was deleted and from the human NTCP promoter when three putative STAT5REs (-2898, -2164, and -691 bp) were deleted. Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated that berberine decreased binding of phospho-STAT5 protein to the-2164 and -691 bp STAT5REs in the human NTCP promoter. In summary, berberine-disrupted STAT5 signaling promoted mouse and human Ntcp/NTCP expression, resulting in enhanced bile acid uptake. Therefore, berberine may be a therapeutic candidate compound for maintaining bile acid homeostasis.
From the Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and.|Biological Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, New York 11439 and.
Pengli
P
Bu
From the Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and.
Yuan
Y
Le
From the Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and.
Yue
Y
Zhang
the School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
Youcai
Y
Zhang
From the Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and chengx@stjohns.edu.
Xingguo
X
Cheng
D000818:Animals; D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D053614:Janus Kinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D029363:Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Dependent / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D027981:Symporters / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013656:Taurocholic Acid / Q000378:metabolism
D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D029363:Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Dependent; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor; D027981:Symporters; D001599:Berberine; C071908:sodium-bile acid cotransporter; D013656:Taurocholic Acid; D053614:Janus Kinase 2
STAT transcription factor; bile acid; gene regulation; transcription regulation; transporter