جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه "berberine" در نشریات گروه "پزشکی"

While the harmful effects of methamphetamine abuse on the heart are well-known, the solutions to deal with these damages are not well-known.

This study aimed to investigate whether aerobic exercise combined with supplements such as Crocin and Berberine can potentially protect against methamphetamine-induced changes in the heart tissue of female rats.

Forty-two female rats were randomly assigned into seven groups (n = 6). The groups included healthy control, methamphetamine, methamphetamine + exercise, methamphetamine + Crocin, methamphetamine + Berberine, methamphetamine + exercise + Crocin, and methamphetamine + exercise + Berberine group. Methamphetamine (10 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally over five days. The animals were administered Crocin via intraperitoneal injection at 40 mg/kg during a four-week withdrawal period. At the same time, Berberine was dissolved in drinking water at 100 mg/kg concentration. The aerobic training consisted of running at 25 m/min for 30 minutes. A light microscope was used to observe the structural changes. Data analysis was performed using non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests by SPSS 26, with a significance level of 5%.

The results of the study indicate that methamphetamine use causes hyperemia, inflammation, and histopathological damage in the heart cells and tissue (P = 0.001). The combination of exercise with Crocin significantly eliminated methamphetamine-induced heart tissue damage (P = 0.001) and improved cardio-respiratory endurance compared to control (P = 0.004) and methamphetamine (P = 0.01) groups. The combination of aerobic exercise with Berberine removed methamphetamine-induced heart cell damage (P = 0.001), and improved cardio-respiratory endurance compared to control (P = 0.024) and methamphetamine (P = 0.05) groups. In addition, all intervention groups showed a significant reduction in hyperemia and inflammation compared to the methamphetamine group (P = 0.001).

A combination of exercise with either Crocin or Berberine supplements demonstrated potential benefits in mitigating some of the harmful structural effects of methamphetamine and improving cardio-respiratory endurance.

Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) is a devastating syndrome. Our previous studies showed that perillyl alcohol (P), berberine (B) and quercetin (Q) improve PAH. In this study, we investigated the effects of sub-effective doses of these derivatives in double and triple combination forms on PAH in rats. Forty nine rats were divided into seven groups (n=7): 1) control, 2) monocrotaline (MCT), 3) MCT+vehicle (veh), 4) MCT+BP, 5) MCT+PQ, 6) MCT+BQ, and 7) MCT+BPQ. After three weeks of PAH induction with MCT (60 mg/kg), either vehicle (ethanol 5% in saline) or one of the above combinations (dose of 20 mg/kg for B, and doses of 20 and 10 mg/ kg for P and Q in vehicle) was administered for three weeks. Right ventricular (RV) pressure, contractility indices, lung pathology, miR-204 expression, oxidative stress markers, inflammation and apoptosis were assayed. MCT increased RV systolic pressure and hypertrophy, and lung arteriole wall thickness, fibrosis and leukocyte infiltration in the MCT group compared to the CTL group. All treatments improved these effects significantly. Furthermore, MCT reduced antioxidant factors, Bax, P21 and miR-204 expression and increased Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α), Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and Bcl-2. All of these effects were recovered by combination treatments. The results showed that combination therapy with sub-effective/ineffective doses of these compounds had ameliorative effects against PAH.

Due to the high prevalence and drug resistance reported for the influenza virus in recent years, much research is being conducted on the discovery and introduction of more effective drugs against the virus. In this regard, the present bioinformatics study examined the inhibitory effects of berberine, a plant-based alkaloid, on influenza virus neuraminidase using docking and molecular dynamics studies.

To conduct this study, the three-dimensional structure and PDB file of influenza virus neuraminidase were prepared from the protein and molecular information database, and the structure file of the berberine and oseltamivir (as positive control) molecules were prepared from the PubChem database. Using GROMACS software, simulation and molecular dynamics calculations were performed in the absence of an inhibitor. Molecular docking studies were performed using AutoDock software, and re-simulation of the protein-ligand complex was performed using GROMACS software.

Berberine was bound to the neuraminidase molecule with three hydrogen bonds and eleven hydrophobic bonds at the binding site. The amount of binding energy (BE) of berberine and oseltamivir was equal to -7.93 and -6.27 kcal/mol with the estimated inhibition constant (EIC) of 1.5 and 25.2 μM, respectively. Over simulation time, the radius of gyration (Rg) of the enzyme at berberine binding increased, but there was no significant difference in system energy changes (TE).

Due to berberine binding, structural changes occur in the secondary and tertiary structures of influenza virus neuraminidase. The large number of created bonds, the low level of binding energy, and the low concentration of the EIC indicate the high tendency of berberine to bind to the binding site of neuraminidase.

As a phytochemical, berberine can modulate metabolic parameters via altering gut flora. However, findings are conflicting. In the present systematic review, we aimed to summarize the effects of berberine on gut microbiota in the models of metabolic disorders in both animal studies and clinical trials. Publications in five electronic databases including PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched systematically up to 31 May 2021 to find relevant articles with English language. Out of 4102 studies (including 2125 duplicates), 35 studies were included. In animal studies, various effects of berberine on beneficial and harmful microbiota were reported. However, findings also indicated that berberine can decrease the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio. Three out of five studies showed positive effects of berberine on the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), particularly butyrate. In three animal studies, Lipopolysacaride (LPS) concentrations decreased with berberine administration. In clinical trials (n=3) positive effects on microbiota and metabolic status were also reported. However, the quality of clinical trials was mainly low.The present systematic review showed that berberine can modulate key metabolic parameters through improving the balance of intestinal microbiome, decreasing the abundance of harmful microbiota and LPS concentrations, and increasing the production of SCFAs, particularly butyrate in animal models. However, there are limited high-quality evidence regarding the effects of berberine on gut flora in clinical trials. Although berberine can be an effective prebiotic supplement to modulate metabolic parameters, further high-quality clinical trials are needed to confirm this potential.

Recently, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recommended to limit the use of total monacolins in red yeast rice (RYR) products to a dose <3 mg/day. However, data concerning the lipid lowering efficacy of the reduced dosage remain limited. A monacolin dose reduced due to safety issues may be expected to be less effective as a lipid lowering strategy and, for this reason, nutraceutical combinations with other active compounds may offer a viable solution as they can act synergistically through different mechanisms.

This 8-week open-label study was designed to investigate the safety and efficacy of a novel ESFA-compliant lipid lowering nutraceutical combination (Colestarmony Plus®; containing total monacolins from RYR at a dose of 2.9 mg/day, a highly bioavailable berberine formulation, and pomegranate extract) in subjects (n=40) with mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia and no history of cardiovascular disease.

After 8 weeks of supplementation, Colestarmony Plus® significantly reduced total cholesterol (−10.4%, p<0.05), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (−14.8%, p<0.05), oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (−12.0%, p<0.05), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (−14.0%, p<0.05) compared with baseline values. A subgroup of 22 patients underwent measurements of flow-mediated dilation, with values increasing by 18.0% at 8 weeks with respect to baseline (p<0.05). The supplement was generally well-tolerated.

Our short-term results indicate that the tested ESFA-compliant nutraceutical is effective in a primary prevention setting, even by providing only <3 mg/day of monacolins.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver disorders with a relatively high mortality rate. Berberine has recently been found to have some antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effects, although the evidence of its effectiveness in NAFLD is limited. To assess the efficacy of berberine among patients with NAFLD.  

The patients with NAFLD were randomly assigned to treatment with (n = 25) or without (n = 25) berberine. The patients in the intervention group took berberine 6.25 g per day and the control group had no berberine. All patients in the 2 groups had been recommended to have lifestyle training, including a low-fat diet and physical activity before randomization. Independent student t tests or Mann-Whitney U tests along paired t tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used. Analysis of covariance was also used to estimate the difference of the variables between the 2 groups adjusting for baseline characteristics.  

The results indicated that berberine, compared with the control group, had no significant impact on lipid levels, including triglyceride (P = 0.350), total cholesterol (P = 0.120), high-density lipoproteins (P = 0.401), and low-density lipoproteins (P = 0.100). Similarly, no significant difference was observed between the treatment arms in the level of fasting blood glucose (P = 0.055) and liver enzymes, such as alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.109), serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (P = 0.366), and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (P = 0.436). The effect of berberine on body weight was also nonsignificant (P = 0.494) and even smaller than that of liver enzymes, with a mean difference of 1.8 kg (P = 0.304) in body weight.  

Berberine was not associated with a significant decrease in lipid profile, fasting blood glucose, or liver enzymes among patients with NAFLD.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of berberine (BBR) on diclofenac sodium-induced testicular impairment in mice.  Eighteen male mice were divided randomly and equally into three groups for three weeks. One group was kept as control, the second group was injected intraperitoneally with diclofenac sodium (DS) at a dose of 10 mg/kg BW daily during the second and third weeks. The third group received daily oral administration of BBR at a dose of 50 mg/kg BW throughout the whole period of the experiment in parallel with the injection of the above-mentioned dose of DS during the second and third weeks. Plasma testosterone as well as testicular lipid peroxides (LPO), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were evaluated. In paraffin-embedded testicular tissues, histological examination, immuno-expression of glutathione reductase (GR), and TUNEL assay were carried out.  Testosterone levels were within the normal range in all groups. BBR decreased testicular LPO and induced SOD and GSH without marked changes in CAT and NO. The histology of testis was improved and, regularity and integrity of seminiferous tubules basement membranes, and distribution and amount of peritubular collagen fibers were normalized. BBR treated group showed few positive GR immuno-expression in spermatogenic cells and negative GR immuno-expression in interstitial cells of Leydig along with a few apoptotic spermatogenic cells.  BBR is effective in protecting against DS-induced testicular dysfunction by improving oxidant/anti-oxidant balance and blocking the apoptotic cascade.

Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid purified from Chinese herbs, was verified to have antitumor effects. It has also been reported that berberine can enhance the anticancer effect of tamoxifen (TAM) in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer cells; however, the involved underlying mechanism is still unclear. In the present study, the role of one variant of ER-α, ER-α36, in the TAM sensitizing effect of berberine was explored in TAM-resistant breast cancer cells. This study demonstrated that berberine potently sensitized TAM-resistant breast cancer cells, including TAM-resistant MCF7 and BT-474 cells, to TAM treatment. Additionally, this study showed that berberine could simultaneously suppress ER-α36 expression in TAM-resistant cells. However, when ER-α36 was knocked down in TAM-resistant cells, there was no significant TAM-sensitizing effect by berberine. Therefore, this study indicated that ER-α36 is involved in berberine’s TAM-sensitizing effect on ER-positive breast cancer cells, which provided supporting data for the application of berberine in cancer therapy as an adjuvant agent for TAM treatment.

Myocardial ischemia leads to left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and cardiac arrhythmia. The present research was conducted with the aim to explore echocardiography changes and electrocardiogram parameters of the hearts of rats with ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI).

The study subjects included 50 male Wistar rats) 8-10 weeks), which were divided into 5 groups (1: trained, 2: supplemented, 3: combined (training and supplementation), 4: sham, and 5: control). High-intensity interval training ‎(HIIT) was performed for 8 weeks, 5 sessions per week. Rats belonging to groups 2 and 3 received 10 mg/kg berberine. Finally, after 48 hours, electrocardiogram and echocardiography were performed on all rats. Moreover, myocardial ischemia was performed by descending coronary artery ligation for 30 minutes.

There were significant differences between the 5 groups in terms of the volumes and dimensions of LV end-systolic dimension (LVSD), LV end-diastolic dimension (LVDD)‎, fractional shortening cardiac output, ejection fraction (EF), stroke volume (SV), ventricular tachycardia (VT), and ventricular ectopic beats (VEBs) episodes, duration of VTs, and ECG parameters (P ≤ 0.05).

Berberine supplementation and HIIT, as preconditioning agents, can possibly prevent the elevation of EF and fractional shortening, the reduction of cardiac output and SV, and arrhythmia improvement after myocardial IRI. Finally, these changes result in increased LV function and decreased mortality in rats with myocardial IRI.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most important metabolic disorders that affect lifestyle. Accordingly, studies have shown that lifestyle changes, especially increasing daily physical activity, can prevent diabetes and help people with the disease through various mechanisms. On the other hand, the use of medicinal plants due to having various phytochemical compounds, each of which has healing properties, can be considered a helpful method in preventing and treating diabetes complications. One of the phytochemical compounds used as an effective substance in the treatment of diabetes is an alkaloid called Berberine. Berberine has been used in traditional medicine to lower blood glucose, and new studies in both in vivo and in vitro conditions have confirmed the diabetic effect of Berberine. Receiving increased energy metabolism, increased glucose and fatty acid uptake by peripheral tissues, improving lipid profile, reducing inflammatorymediators, increasing antioxidant capacity are commonmechanisms that aerobic exercise and Berberine exert their beneficial effects in diabetes. In the present study, the effect of aerobic exercise, Berberine, and its combination on diabetes markers have been investigated considering the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise and Berberine in diabetes.

Epilepsy is one of the most widespread neurological disease worldwide. Status epilepticus (SE) is a life-threatening neurologic disorder. Neuroprotective approaches are increasingly to discover a promising therapy to manage epileptic disorders. This study aimed to assess the impact of berberine on some epigenetic, transcription regulation & inflammatory biomarkers in a mice model of epilepsy.

This work was performed on; Group I: (control), Group II: berberine‐treated control, Group III: epilepsy group, Group IV: berberine‐treated epilepsy. Groups were subjected to assessment of Tumor growth factor-1ꞵ (TGF-1ꞵ), hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity & neuronal restrictive silencing factor (NRSF) gene expression.

Study showed significant increase in levels of HIF-1α, TGF-1β, HDAC activity & NRSF gene expression in epilepsy group & decrease in these levels in berberine treated epilepsy group. Significant decrease in BDNF levels in epilepsy & elevation in them in berberine treated epilepsy group.

Our study showed the anti-epileptic impact of berberine via its regulatory effect on some epigenetic, transcription factors & inflammatory biomarkers in a mice model of epilepsy.

Cancer is a progressive disease, its incidence and death rates are rapidly increasing globally. Numerous adverse effects are associated with the available interventions. Hence, the current study was undertaken to explore the anticancer effect of silver nanoparticles conjugated with berberine (AgNPs-BER) against Ehrlich solid carcinoma (ESC) in mice.

Male Swiss albino mice were allocated randomly into ESC, ESC+cisplatin (CP; 5 mg/kg), ESC+AgNPs-BER (20 mg/kg), and ESC+cisplatin and AgNPs-BER groups.

AgNPs-BER administration increased significantly the survival rate and decreased body weight and tumor size as compared to ESC group. Additionally, AgNPs-BER enhanced the development of oxidative stress in the tumor tissue as indicated by the increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) and nitric oxide (NO) accompanied by a decrease in the examined antioxidant proteins (glutathione (GSH) and its derived enzymes along with superoxide dismutase and catalase). AgNPs-BER was found also to trigger apoptotic cascade in the tumor cells through upregulating the mRNA expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax and caspase-3) and downregulating the mRNA expression of the anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2). Moreover, AgNPs-BER improved partially the histopathological alterations in the developed tumor tissue as compared to ESC group.

Collectively, AgNPs-BER could be applied as an antitumor agent due to its pro-oxidant, pro-apoptotic, and antiangiogenic effects.