Berberry Extract Reduces Neuronal Damage and N-Methyl-D-aspartate Receptor 1 Immunoreactivity in the Gerbil Hippocampus after Transient Forebrain Ischemia

Abstract

Transient forebrain ischemia, produced by prolonged deprivation of blood flow to the brain, results in the insidious delayed degeneration of specific vulnerable neurons within the hippocampus.1,2) Among hippocampal neurons, pyramidal cells of the hippocampal CA1 region are most vulnerable to cerebral ischemia. 1,2) Death of the CA1 pyramidal cells following cerebral ischemia causes a variety of neurological dysfunction such as depression and memory deficits. 3,4) In traditional Eastern medicine, the extracts of various Berberidaceae (Berberis aquifolium, Berberis vulgaris and Berberis aristata) are used for rheumatic complaints and other types of chronic inflammation. 5,6) It has been reported that the functional components of the extracts were alkaloid components such as berberine, oxyacanthine, berbamine and palmatine.5) The anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activity of the Berberidaceae extract is well established. 7,8) Moreover, cardiotonic 9) and antiarrhythmic 10,11) activities have also been reported. Despite the considerable works done on berberic species in inflammation, cardiotonic and antiarrhythmic effects, its effects and roles in ischemic damage in the brain remains to be elucidated.It has been postulated that the neuronal hyperactivity due to an elevation of extracellular excitatory amino acids during ischemia leads to a massive increase in intracellular-free Ca 2ϩ , which may trigger the process of neuronal degeneration. [12][13][14] In the present study, therefore, we investigated the percentage of berberine by HPLC, which is active ingredient, and the neuroprotective effects of crude berberry extract (BE) against ischemic damage and the temporal and spatial alterations of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor type 1 (NR1) and NR2A/B, the major excitatory amino acid receptors, immunoreactivities in the hippocampus induced by transient ischemia to examine anti-ischemic effects and their roles after transient forebrain ischemia in gerbils. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experimental Animals Male Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) obtained from the Experimental AnimalCenter, Hallym University, Chunchon, South Korea were used in this study. The animals were housed at constant temperature (23°C) at 60% relative humidity under a fixed 12 h light/dark cycle and had free access to food and water. Procedures involving animals and their care conformed with the our institution's guidelines, which are in compliance with current international laws and policies (NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, NIH Publication No. 85-23, 1985, revised 1996). All experiments were conducted to minimize the number of animals used and suffering caused.Plant Materials and Extraction Korean berberry (Berberis koreana) was collected in the area around Gyeonggi-do (South Korea) in September 2001. The plants were authenticated and the voucher specimen was deposited in the departmental herbarium of Kangwon National University. For the preparation of the ethanol extract of Berberis koreana, whole plants of theBerberis k...

<i>COSCINIUM FENESTRATUM</i> PROTECTS AGAINST ETHANOL-INDUCED NEURODEGENERATION IN ADULT RAT BRAIN

“…It has been reported that berberine attenuated neuronal damage in ischemia/reperfusion model (Yoo et al, 2006) and enhances neuronal cell survival and differentiation in rat's hippocampus (Lim et al, 2008). In addition, CF extract have been previously reported to exhibit the neuroprotective effect via its antioxidant activity leading to the decreased oxidative stress and finally decreased neurodegeneration in neonatal animal model (Lee et al, 2010).…”

Berberine-Induced Upregulation of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells Is Related to Nitric Oxide Production in Healthy Subjects

“…It has been demonstrated that BR has multiple pharmacological effects such as antimicrobial [10], anti-inflammatory [10] and anticancer activity [11]. In addition, BR is a promising drug for treating Alzheimer’s disease [12], forebrain ischemia [13], anxiety [14] and depression [15]. Most interesting for our research, BR has various beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, including antihyperglycemic activity [16], lowering blood pressure [17] and antihyperlipidemia [18].…”

Effect of baicalin and berberine on transport of nimodipine on primary-cultured, rat brain microvascular endothelial cells

“…Berberine has varied pharmacological effects including anti-diarrheic [11] , antimicrobial [12] , and anti-inflammatory [13] ; it also exhibits protective effects against ischemic damage after ischemia/reperfusion [14][15][16] .…”