School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Chin Med. 2010 Sep 18;5:33. doi: 10.1186/1749-8546-5-33.
Berberine is an active compound in Coptidis Rhizoma (Huanglian) with multiple pharmacological activities including antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-lowering and anticancer effects. The present study aims to determine the hepatoprotective effects of berberine on serum and tissue superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, the histology in tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury.
Sprague-Dawley rats aged seven weeks were injected intraperitoneally with 50% CCl4 in olive oil. Berberine was orally administered before or after CCl4 treatment in various groups. Twenty-four hours after CCl4 injection, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities, serum and liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were measured. Histological changes of liver were examined with microscopy.
Serum ALT and AST activities significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner in both pre-treatment and post-treatment groups with berberine. Berberine increased the SOD activity in liver. Histological examination showed lowered liver damage in berberine-treated groups.
The present study demonstrates that berberine possesses hepatoprotective effects against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity and that the effects are both preventive and curative. Berberine should have potential for developing a new drug to treat liver toxicity.
小檗碱是黄连中的一种活性化合物，具有多种药理活性，包括抗菌、抗病毒、抗炎、降胆固醇和抗癌作用。本研究旨在探讨小檗碱对四氯化碳（CCl4）诱导的肝损伤血清和组织中超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）水平、组织学的影响。
7 周龄 Sprague-Dawley 大鼠腹腔内注射 50%橄榄油中的 CCl4。小檗碱在 CCl4 处理前或后在不同组中口服给药。CCl4 注射后 24 小时，测量血清丙氨酸氨基转移酶（ALT）和天冬氨酸氨基转移酶（AST）活性、血清和肝脏 SOD 活性。用显微镜检查肝脏的组织学变化。
小檗碱预处理和后处理组的血清 ALT 和 AST 活性均呈剂量依赖性降低。小檗碱增加了肝脏中的 SOD 活性。组织学检查显示小檗碱治疗组的肝损伤降低。
本研究表明，小檗碱对 CCl4 诱导的肝毒性具有保护作用，且具有预防和治疗作用。小檗碱可能具有开发治疗肝毒性新药的潜力。
