PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF BERBERINE ON CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION IN DIABETIC RATS

Xiaohong Peng, Jian Liu

Department of cardiovascular medicine, NanFang Hospital, Southern Medical University, GuangZhou, 510515, China

 Objective: To investigate the value of serum IgG4 levels in the differential diagnosis of IgG4-related hepatobiliary diseases and other hepatobiliObjective: To investigate the possible mechanism of berberine on cardiovascular function in diabetic rats by observing the effect of berberine on blood glucose, blood lipid and cardiovascular disease related factors.

Methods: The diabetic rat model was established by the intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Fifty-four rats with successful modeling were randomly divided into the model control group (n = 10), metformin group (140 mg·kg-1·d-1, n = 11) and berberine low-, medium- and high-dose groups (50, 100, 150 mg·kg-1·d-1, n= 11, 11, 11). An additional 10 normal rats were used as the normal control group. After 12 weeks of gavage administration, the rat hearts were collected, and the heart mass index (HMI) was cal- culated. The levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and nitric oxide (NO) in the serum were examined by using commercial kits. The levels of thromboxane B2 (TXB2), 6-keto-prostaglandin F α (6-keto-PGF α) and endothelin (ET) in the serum were determined by radioimmunoassay. The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the thoracic aorta tissue was detected by real-time fluorescence quantification polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Results: Compared with the model control group, the levels of blood glucose (BG), heart mass index (HMI), TG, TC and LDL-C were significantly decreased (P<0.01); the levels of NO and 6-keto-PGF α in the serum were significantly increased (P<0.01); the levels of ET and TXB2 were decreased markedly (P<0.01); and the mRNA expression levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in the thoracic aorta tissue were obviously decreased (P<0.01) in the berberine medium- and high-dose groups and in the metformin group.

Conclusion: Berberine can repair the dynamic balance of vasoconstriction and vasodilation in diabetic rats by regulating blood lipids and can antagonize atherosclerosis; thus, it can protect the cardiovascular system to a certain extent.