Relaxant effects of berberine on the rat fundus

The present study examines the relaxant effect of berberine on the longitudinal muscle of the isolated rat gastric fundus. Our experiments show that berberine reduces the tonic contraction more than the phasic contraction induced by carbachol. In addition, the carbachol induced phasic contraction in Ca+2 -free solution was only inhibited at the highest concentration of berberine. Berberine inhibited the slow phase more than the fast phase in KCl-induced contractions. These results suggest that the major mechanism of berberine consists of an inhibition of calcium entry from extracellular in the second phase induced by both carbachol and KCl. Conversely, prevention of the mobilization of store Ca+2 in the phasic contraction phase induced by carbachol and prevention of the calcium entry from extracellular in first phase elicited by high levels of potassium play only a minor role in the dilatory effect of berberine.