The effects of berberine on hyperhomocysteinemia and hyperlipidemia in rats fed with a long-term high-fat diet

Lipids in Health and Disease

Xin Gao¹  Teng-fang Zhu²  Hua Bian¹  Ming-feng Xia¹  Qiong Xu¹  Hong-mei Yan¹  Xin-xia Chang¹ 

[1]Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China

[2]Department of Pathology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China

关键词: Hyperlipidemia;    Hyperhomocysteinemia;    Berberine;   

Others  :  1160258
DOI  :  10.1186/1476-511X-11-86

 received in 2012-02-12, accepted in 2012-06-25,  发布年份 2012

【 摘 要 】

Background

The study was undertaken to examine the effects of berberine (BBR) on serum homocysteine, lipids and the aortic lesion in Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats fed with a long-term high-fat diet (HFD).

Methods

Healthy male SD rats weighing 190-210 g received randomly standard diet or a high-fat diet for 24 weeks. After 8 weeks of feeding, rats fed with HFD were randomized to receive berberine (200 mg · kg-1· day-1) or vehicle by gavage for 16 weeks. After overnight fasting, all rats were sacrificed and total blood samples were also collected for determinant of fasting serum homocysteine (Hcy), total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels. The aorta was stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Sudan Ш to evaluate aortic lesion. The livers were dissected out and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen for hepatic TC content and molecular analysis. 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR), Lipoprotein receptors and apolipoproteins gene expression in the liver were determined by real-time PCR.

Results

Intragastrical administration with berberine for 16 weeks lowered serum Hcy in rats fed with a high-fat diet. In parallel, it also decreased body weight and improved serum TC and LDL-c. Berberine also tended to decrease hepatic cholesterol. Consistently, berberine also upregulated LDL receptor (LDLR) mRNA level and suppressed HMGR gene expression. Meanwhile, upon berberine-treated rats, there was a significant increase in apolipoprotein E (apoE) mRNA, but no change in apoAI and scavenger receptor (SR) mRNA in the liver. Further, no atherosclerotic lesions were developed in berberine-treated rats for 16 weeks.

Conclusion

Berberine can counteract HFD-elicited hyperhomocysteinemia and hyperlipidemia partially via upregulating LDLR and apoE mRNA levels and suppressing HMGR gene expression.

【 授权许可】

   
2012 Chang et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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