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Integrative Medicine (Encinitas, Calif.) Nov 2023The alkaloid berberine is a constituent of several medicinal herbs with centuries of use. Emerging research is documenting many effective clinical applications. It has...
The alkaloid berberine is a constituent of several medicinal herbs with centuries of use. Emerging research is documenting many effective clinical applications. It has been shown to improve blood sugar control, lower cholesterol, inhibit infectious microorganisms, decrease inflammation, ameliorate inflammatory bowel disease, lower blood pressure, facilitate weight loss, and even inhibit cancer cells. However, it is important to recognize that relying solely on berberine as a treatment because it is a natural molecule ignores the need to address causes of the diseases and dysfunctions the patient is suffering.
PubMed: 38144162
DOI: No ID Found -
Redox Biology Jun 2023Nuclear factor (NF)-κB plays a pivotal role in the regulation of inflammatory response in macrophages. Berberine (BBR), which is an active constituent isolated from...
Nuclear factor (NF)-κB plays a pivotal role in the regulation of inflammatory response in macrophages. Berberine (BBR), which is an active constituent isolated from Coptis rhizome, possesses a prominent anti-inflammatory activity. Here we show that BBR changes the global acetylation landscape in LPS-induced protein acetylation of macrophages and reduces the acetylation of NF-κB subunit p65 at site Lys310(p65), leading to the inhibition of NF-κB translocation and transcriptional activity to suppress the expressions of inflammatory factors. BBR resists the inflammatory response in acute LPS-stimulated mice through downregulation of p65 acetylation in peritoneal macrophages. In obese mice, BBR alleviates the metabolic disorder and inflammation with the reduced acetylation of p65 in white adipose tissue. Furthermore, we demonstrate that BBR acts as a regulator of p65 by inhibiting the expression of p300 in macrophages. Our findings elucidate a new molecular mechanism for the anti-inflammatory effect of BBR via the p300/p65 axis.
Topics: Mice; Animals; NF-kappa B; Berberine; Transcription Factor RelA; Acetylation; Lipopolysaccharides; Macrophages; Anti-Inflammatory Agents
PubMed: 37086629
DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102704 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2023Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing gastrointestinal (GI) disorder characterized by intestinal inflammation. The etiology of IBD is multifactorial... (Review)
Review
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing gastrointestinal (GI) disorder characterized by intestinal inflammation. The etiology of IBD is multifactorial and results from a complex interplay between mucosal immunity, environmental factors, and host genetics. Future therapeutics for GI disorders, including IBD, that are driven by oxidative stress require a greater understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the GI tract, oxidative stressors include infections and pro-inflammatory responses, which boost ROS generation by promoting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) represent two important signaling pathways in intestinal immune cells that regulate numerous physiological processes, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Natural antioxidant compounds exhibit ROS scavenging and increase antioxidant defense capacity to inhibit pro-oxidative enzymes, which may be useful in IBD treatment. In this review, we discuss various polyphenolic substances (such as resveratrol, curcumin, quercetin, green tea flavonoids, caffeic acid phenethyl ester, luteolin, xanthohumol, genistein, alpinetin, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, silymarin), phenolic compounds including thymol, alkaloids such as berberine, storage polysaccharides such as tamarind xyloglucan, and other phytochemicals represented by isothiocyanate sulforaphane and food/spices (such as ginger, flaxseed oil), as well as antioxidant hormones like melatonin that target cellular signaling pathways to reduce intestinal inflammation occurring with IBD.
Topics: Humans; Antioxidants; Reactive Oxygen Species; Anthocyanins; Oxidative Stress; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Hormones; Inflammation
PubMed: 37701897
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1217165 -
Biology Jul 2023Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that causes hyperglycemia conditions and leads to various chronic complications that causes death. The prevalence of... (Review)
Review
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that causes hyperglycemia conditions and leads to various chronic complications that causes death. The prevalence of diabetes is predicted to continue to increase, and with the high toxicity levels of current diabetes drugs, the exploration of natural compounds as alternative diabetes treatment has been widely carried out, one of which is berberine. Berberine and several other alkaloid compounds, including some of its derivatives, have shown many bioactivities, such as neuraminidase and hepatoprotective activity. Berberine also exhibits antidiabetic activity. As an antidiabetic compound, berberine is known to reduce blood glucose levels, increase insulin secretion, and weaken glucose tolerance and insulin resistance by activating the AMPK pathway. Apart from being an antidiabetic compound, berberine also exhibits various other activities such as being anti-adipogenic, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. Many studies have been conducted on berberine, but its exact mechanism still needs to be clarified and requires further investigation. This review will discuss berberine and its mechanism as a natural compound with various activities, mainly as an antidiabetic.
PubMed: 37508403
DOI: 10.3390/biology12070973 -
Advanced Science (Weinheim,... Oct 2023Epidemiological studies show an association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and increased risk of thrombosis. However, how IBD influences thrombosis remains...
Epidemiological studies show an association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and increased risk of thrombosis. However, how IBD influences thrombosis remains unknown. The current study shows that formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) significantly increased in the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced IBD mice, which in turn, contributes to thrombus formation in a NETs-dependent fashion. Furthermore, the exosomes isolated from the plasma of the IBD mice induce arterial and venous thrombosis in vivo. Importantly, proinflammatory factors-exposed intestinal epithelial cells (inflamed IECs) promote neutrophils to release NETs through their secreted exosomes. RNA sequencing revealed that LINC00668 is highly enriched in the inflamed IECs-derived exosomes. Mechanistically, LINC00668 facilitates the translocation of neutrophil elastase (NE) from the cytoplasmic granules to the nucleus via its interaction with NE in a sequence-specific manner, thereby inducing NETs release and thrombus formation. Importantly, berberine (BBR) suppresses the nuclear translocation of NE and subsequent NETs formation by inhibiting the interaction of LINC00668 with NE, thus exerting its antithrombotic effects. This study provides a novel pathobiological mechanism linking IBD and thrombosis by exosome-mediated NETs formation. Targeting LINC00668 can serve as a novel molecular treatment strategy to treat IBD-related thrombosis.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Extracellular Traps; Exosomes; Thrombosis; Neutrophils; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
PubMed: 37590310
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300560 -
Journal of Endocrinological... Jun 2023Orbital fibroblasts (OF) are considered the central target cells in the pathogenesis of thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO), which comprises orbital inflammation,... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Orbital fibroblasts (OF) are considered the central target cells in the pathogenesis of thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO), which comprises orbital inflammation, orbital tissue edema, adipogenesis, fibrosis, oxidative stress and autophagy. Certain active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) demonstrated inhibition of TAO-OF in pre-clinical studies and they could be translated into novel therapeutic strategies.
METHODS
The pertinent and current literature of pre-clinical studies on TAO investigating the effects of active ingredients of TCM was reviewed using the NCBI PubMed database.
RESULTS
Eleven TCM compounds demonstrated inhibition of TAO-OF in-vitro and three of them (polydatin, curcumin, and gypenosides) resulted in improvement in TAO mouse models. Tanshinone IIA reduced inflammation, oxidative stress and adipogenesis. Both resveratrol and its precursor polydatin displayed anti-oxidative and anti-adipogenic properties. Celastrol inhibited inflammation and triptolide prevented TAO-OF activation, while icariin inhibited autophagy and adipogenesis. Astragaloside IV reduced inflammation via suppressing autophagy and inhibited fat accumulation as well as collagen deposition. Curcumin displayed multiple actions, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-adipogenic, anti-fibrotic and anti-angiogenic effects via multiple signaling pathways. Gypenosides reduced inflammation, oxidative stress, tissue fibrosis, as well as oxidative stress mediated autophagy and apoptosis. Dihydroartemisinin inhibited OF proliferation, inflammation, hyaluronan (HA) production, and fibrosis. Berberine attenuated inflammation, HA production, adipogenesis, and fibrosis.
CONCLUSIONS
Clinical trials of different phases with adequate power and sound methodology will be warranted to evaluate the appropriate dosage, safety and efficacy of these compounds in the management of TAO.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Graves Ophthalmopathy; Curcumin; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Fibrosis; Inflammation; Fibroblasts
PubMed: 36781592
DOI: 10.1007/s40618-023-02024-4 -
Heliyon Nov 2023Diabetes has emerged as one the leading detrimental factors for human life expectancy worldwide. The disease is mainly considered as outcome of dysregulation in glucose... (Review)
Review
Diabetes has emerged as one the leading detrimental factors for human life expectancy worldwide. The disease is mainly considered as outcome of dysregulation in glucose metabolism, resulting in consistent high glucose concentration in blood. At initial stages, the diabetes particularly type 2 diabetes, is manageable by lifestyle interventions such as regular physical activity and diet with less carbohydrates. However, in advance stage, regular intake of external insulin dose and medicines like metformin are recommended. The long-term consumption of metformin is associated with several side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, lectic acidosis etc., In this scenario, several plant-based medicines have shown promising potential for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Berberine is the bioactive compound present in the different plant parts of berberis family. Biochemical studies have shown that berberine improve insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion. Additionally, berberine induces glucose metabolism by activating AMPK signaling and inhibition of inflammation. A series of studies have demonstrated the antidiabetic potential of berberine at , pre-clinical and clinical trials. This review provides comprehensive details of preventive and therapeutic potential of berberine against diabetes.
PubMed: 38027723
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21233 -
Frontiers in Nutrition 2023Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline alkaloid that is widely distributed in the plant kingdom and is commonly found in Franch. It has low bioavailability, but it can... (Review)
Review
Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline alkaloid that is widely distributed in the plant kingdom and is commonly found in Franch. It has low bioavailability, but it can interact with gut microbiota and affect a variety of diseases. The effects of BBR in diabetes, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, liver diseases, intestinal diseases, mental disorders, autoimmune diseases, and other diseases are all thought to be related to gut microbiota. This review systematically and comprehensively summarize these interactions and their effects, and describes the changes of gut microbiota after the intervention of different doses of berberine and its potential clinical consequences, in order to provide a basis for the rational application of BBR in the future clinical treatment.
PubMed: 37599699
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1187718