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Berberine attenuates cardiac dysfunction in hyperglycemic and hypercholesterolemic rats
Shi-Fen Dong1, Ying Hong, Ming Liu
1Department of Pharmacology, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Insights
Berberine effectively improved cardiac function in rats with hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. This natural compound reduced blood sugar and lipids, protecting the heart by improving fatty acid and glucose transport.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Metabolic Disorders
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia significantly impair cardiac function.
- Developing effective treatments for metabolic-induced cardiac dysfunction is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the protective effects of berberine on cardiac dysfunction in a rat model of hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia.
- To investigate the impact of berberine on cardiac lipid and glucose metabolism.
Main Methods:
- A rat model was established using a high-sucrose/fat diet and streptozotocin injection.
- Berberine (30 mg/kg/day) was administered for 6 weeks.
- Cardiac function, plasma lipid/glucose levels, and key metabolic gene/protein expressions were assessed.
Main Results:
- Berberine treatment significantly reduced plasma glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
- Cardiac dysfunction markers were improved by berberine, with increases in cardiac output and contractility, and decreases in diastolic pressure.
- Berberine modulated cardiac fatty acid transport and oxidation, and glucose transport, while altering PPAR expression.
Conclusions:
- Berberine demonstrates significant cardioprotective effects against hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia-induced dysfunction.
- The mechanism involves alleviating cardiac lipid accumulation and enhancing glucose transport.
- Berberine shows potential as a therapeutic agent for metabolic-related cardiovascular diseases.
Abstract:
The positive effects of berberine (30 mg/kg/day, i.g. for 6 weeks) on cardiac dysfunction were evaluated in the rat model of hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. Hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia were induced by feeding high-sucrose/fat diet (HSFD) consisting of 20% sucrose, 10% lard, 2.5% cholesterol, 1% bile salt for 12 weeks and streptozotocin (30 mg/kg, i.p.). The plasma sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were significantly increased (422, 194 and 82%, respectively) in the HSFD/streptozotocin-treated rats, when compared with control animals receiving normal diet and vehicle. Berberine treatment reduced the plasma sugar and lipid levels by 24-69% in the rat model of hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. Cardiac functions signed as values of cardiac output, left ventricular systolic pressure, the maximum rate of myocardial contraction (+dp/dtmax), left ventricular end diastolic pressure and the maximum rate of myocardial diastole (-dp/dtmax) were injured by 16-55% in the hyperglycemic/hypercholesterolemic rats. Berberine increased cardiac output, left ventricular systolic pressure and +dp/dtmax by 64, 16 and 79%, but decreased left ventricular end diastolic pressure and -dp/dtmax by 121 and 61% in the rats receiving HSFD/streptozotocin, respectively, when compared with the drug-untreated rats of hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. Berberine caused significant increase in cardiac fatty acid transport protein-1 (159%), fatty acid transport proteins (56%), fatty acid beta-oxidase (52%), as well as glucose transporter-4 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), but decrease in PPARα mRNA and protein expression in hyperglycemic/hypercholesterolemic rats. These results indicated that berberine exerted protective effects on cardiac dysfunction induced by hyperglycemia/hypercholesterolemia through alleviating cardiac lipid accumulation and promoting glucose transport.
