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Berberine Attenuates Cardiac Hypertrophy Through Inhibition of mTOR Signaling Pathway

Xing Chen1,2, Xingzuan Jiang1, Chuanfang Cheng2

  • 1Department of Geriatrics, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China.

Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy
|May 13, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Berberine treatment ameliorates cardiac hypertrophy in rats and H9c2 cells by inhibiting the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent for cardiac conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Pharmacology
  • Molecular Medicine

Background:

  • Cardiac hypertrophy is a significant risk factor for heart failure.
  • Berberine has shown potential benefits for cardiac hypertrophy, but its mechanisms are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying berberine's effects on cardiac hypertrophy.
  • To evaluate berberine's efficacy in both in vivo and in vitro models of cardiac hypertrophy.

Main Methods:

  • Cardiac hypertrophy was induced in rats via transverse aorta constriction (TAC) and in H9c2 cells using norepinephrine (NE).
  • Berberine treatment was administered to assess its impact on cardiac function, histology, and protein/mRNA expression.
  • Key signaling pathways, including mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), were analyzed using Western blot and qRT-PCR.

Main Results:

  • Berberine treatment significantly ameliorated TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in rats.
  • Berberine inhibited the activation of the mTOR signaling pathway (phospho-mTOR, phospho-4EBP1, phospho-p70 S6K) in both rat models and NE-treated H9c2 cells.
  • A concentration of 10 μM berberine, but not 1 μM, effectively reduced NE-induced hypertrophy in H9c2 cells.

Conclusions:

  • Berberine demonstrates cardioprotective effects against pressure-overloaded and norepinephrine-induced cardiac hypertrophy.
  • The mechanism involves the inhibition of the mTOR signaling pathway.
  • Berberine represents a potential therapeutic candidate for treating cardiac hypertrophy and failure.
Abstract

Keywords:
BerberineCardiac hypertrophyTransverse aorta constrictionmTOR signaling pathway

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