Int Neurourol J.  2019 Nov;23(Suppl 2):S102-S110. 10.5213/inj.1938216.108.

Berberine Ameliorates Brain Inflammation in Poloxamer 407-Induced Hyperlipidemic Rats

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Cardiovascular Neurologic Disease (Stroke Center), College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea. s07@naver.com
  • 3College of Culture and Sports, Division of Global Sport Studies, Korea University, Sejong, Korea.
  • 4Department of Psychiatry, Myongji Hospital, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Goyang, Korea.
  • 5Department of Kinesiology, College of Public Health and Cardiovascular Research Center, Lewis Kate School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Abstract

PURPOSE
Hyperlipidemia, which promotes the development of atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke, and other forms of brain injury, can be induced by poloxamer-407. Berberine is a primary pharmacological active component of Coptidis Rhizoma that has a number of therapeutic activities. This study investigated the effects of berberine on poloxamer-407-induced brain inflammation by evaluating its effects on short-term memory, cell proliferation, inflammation, and apoptosis in the hippocampus.
METHODS
To induce hyperlipidemia in a rat model, 500 mg/kg of poloxamer-407 was injected intraperitoneally. Berberine was orally administered to the rats in the berberine-treated groups once a day for 4 weeks. The step-down task avoidance task was performed to measure short-term memory. An analysis of serum lipids, immunohistochemistry for 5-bromo-2"²-deoxyuridine, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1) in the dentate gyrus, and western blot analysis for Bax, Bcl-2, and cytochrome c in the hippocampus were performed.
RESULTS
In hyperlipidemic rats, berberine reduced the levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in hyperlipidemic rats. Berberine also increased cell proliferation and short-term memory, as well as decreasing the expression of GFAP, Iba1, Bax, and cytochrome c and increasing Bcl-2 expression.
CONCLUSIONS
Berberine treatment improved short-term memory in hyperlipidemia by increasing neuronal proliferation and inhibiting neuronal apoptosis. Berberine treatment also improved lipid metabolism.

Keyword

Hyperlipidemia; Berberine; Poloxamer; Apoptosis; Glial fibrillary acidic protein; Iba1

MeSH Terms

Animals
Apoptosis
Atherosclerosis
Berberine*
Blotting, Western
Brain Injuries
Brain*
Cell Proliferation
Cholesterol
Cytochromes c
Dentate Gyrus
Encephalitis*
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
Hippocampus
Hyperlipidemias
Immunohistochemistry
Inflammation
Lipid Metabolism
Lipoproteins
Memory, Short-Term
Models, Animal
Neurons
Poloxamer*
Rats*
Stroke
Triglycerides
Berberine
Cholesterol
Cytochromes c
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
Lipoproteins
Poloxamer
Triglycerides
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