Berberine ameliorates inflammation in patients with acute coronary syndrome following percutaneous coronary intervention

Abstract

1. Inflammation is central to the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Recent in vitro work has demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effect of berberine, a primary component of the traditional Chinese medicine 'umbellatine'. In the present study, we further tested whether berberine had any beneficial effects on ACS patients following PCI. 2.In all, 130 ACS patients undergoing PCI were recruited to the present study. Sixty-one patients were treated with berberine (300 mg, t.i.d., for 30 days) in addition to standard therapy, whereas the remaining patients received standard therapy alone. Circulating inflammatory markers were measured by ELISA, whereas serum lipid profiles were measured by routine chemical assays. 3.In the berberine-treated group, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 were significantly reduced relative to baseline values. Furthermore, the changes in MMP-9, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 from baseline to after 1 month of treatment differed significantly between the two patient groups. There was a tendency for berberine to induce a slightly greater reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides than standard therapy alone, without affecting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, but the differences failed to reach statistical significance. No severe adverse effects of berberine were observed. 4.The results of the present study provide the first clinical evidence of the anti-inflammatory action of berberine in ACS patients following PCI. Berberine may become adjunct therapy to further improve clinical outcomes via its anti-inflammatory effect in ACS patients.

Berberine Hydrochloride Prevents Postsurgery Intestinal Adhesion and Inflammation in Rats

“…Berberine has recently become a useful anti-inflammatory drug for cardiovascular, endocrine, and intestinal disorders, because of its antitumor and antilipase effects (Jeong et al, 2009;Jiang et al, 2011;Meng et al, 2012;Yao et al, 2013). Here, we identified berberine as an antiadhesion agent that effectively protects against postabdominal surgery adhesion and inflammation, with several lines of evidence including reduced adhesion scores from direct assessment of adhesions, histopathology measurement of lymphocytes and vascular proliferation, decreased circulating concentration of ICAM-1, downregulated expression levels and secretion of various proinflammatory cytokines in both serum and cecum, and suppression of TAK1, JNK, and NF-kB signaling.…”

Learning from berberine: Treating chronic diseases through multiple targets

“…The anti-inflammatory effects of BBR have also been observed in patients with coronary heart disease. BBR treatment for 30 d, following standard intervention, reduced serum inflammatory markers, as well as lipid concentrations, in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) [44].…”

Berberine Ameliorates Cold and Mechanical Allodynia in a Rat Model of Diabetic Neuropathy

“…The various plant sources of berberine include Berberis vulgaris (barberry), Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal), Berberis aquifolium (Oregon grape), Coptis chinensis (Chinese goldthread), and Berberis aristata (tree turmeric). 2 It has been reported to possess multiple pharmacological properties as a drug for diabetes, 3 coronary artery disease, 4 hyperlipidemia, 5 inflammation, 6 and hypertension, 7 and recently, it is reported that berberine has powerful antioxidative effects. 8 Since a substantial body of evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a major role among the putative pathogenic mechanisms of diabetic neuropathy, 9,10 the authors hypothesized that berberine might ameliorate diabetic neuropathic pains, including allodynia.…”