Effect of Berberine on promoting the excretion of cholesterol in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic hamsters

作者：Xiaoyang Li, Zhenxiong Zhao, Min Huang, Ru Feng, Chi‐Yu He, Chao Ma, Shi-Heng Luo, Jie Fu, Bao‐Ying Wen, Long Ren, Jia‐Wen Shou, Fang Guo, Yangchao Chen, Xin Gao, Yan Wang, Jian‐Dong Jiang · 发表于：Journal of Translational Medicine · 年份：2015 · DOI：10.1186/s12967-015-0629-3 · 被引用次数：82 · 研究领域：Berberine and alkaloids research、Alkaloids: synthesis and pharmacology、Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Annonaceae

BACKGROUND: Berberine (BBR), as a new medicine for hyperlipidemia, can reduce the blood lipids in patients. Mechanistic studies have shown that BBR activates the extracellular-signal regulated kinase pathway by stabilizing low-density-lipoprotein receptor mRNA. However, aside from inhibiting the intestinal absorption of cholesterol, the effects of BBR on other metabolic pathways of cholesterol have not been reported. This study aimed to investigate the action of BBR on the excretion of cholesterol in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic hamsters. METHODS: Golden hamsters were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 6 weeks to induce hyperlipidemia, followed by oral treatment with 50 and 100 mg/kg/day of BBR or 10 and 30 mg/kg/day of lovastatin for 10 days, respectively. The levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), transaminases, and total bile acid in the serum, liver, bile and feces were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The cholesterol (as well as coprostanol) levels in the liver, bile and feces were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The HFD hamsters showed significantly hyperlipidemic characteristics compared with the normal hamsters. Treatment with BBR for 10 days reduced the serum TC, TG and LDL-C levels in HFD hamsters by 44-70, 34-51 and 47-71%, respectively, and this effect was both dose- and time-dependent. Initially, a large amount of cholesterol accumulated in the hyperlipi...