Purpose: To improve the oral bioavailability of berberine using a new self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS). Methods: Berberine SNEDDS was designed using solubility studies and phase diagram construction. A series of tests were carried out to study the effect of oil content, dilution, and drug loading on particle size. The morphology of the nanoemulsion was examined with a transmis...

Diabetic nephropathy is a progressive kidney disorder and is pathologically characterized by thickened glomerular and tubular basement membranes, accumulation of the extracellular matrix and increased mesangial hypertrophy. Growing evidence has suggested that diabetic nephropathy is induced by multiple factors, such as dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hemodynamic abnormalities and oxidative stress,...

The present study investigated the electropharmacological effects of a traditional Chinese herbal drug, berberine, on the spontaneous activity of sinoatrial nodes (SANs) of the rabbit heart and on human hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated 4 (hHCN4) channels, which are heterologously expressed in xenopus oocytes, and which contribute to pacemaker currents (Ifs). A standard microe...

Berberine was loaded in yeast cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiaeas a novel pharmaceutical carrier to improve the treatment ofmany diseases. The yeast-encapsulated active materialsshowedhigh stability and bioavailability due to the enhanced solubility and sustained releasing. In this study, different characteristics of prepared berberine loaded yeast cells (loading capacity, release kinetic order...

Recent studies have shown that microRNA-21 (miR-21) contributes to tumor resistance to chemotherapy. Interestingly, we have found that berberine could inhibit miR-21 expression in several cancer cell lines. In this study, we investigated whether berberine could modulate the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin and explored the mechanism. The cisplatin-resistant SKOV3 cells that were...

Previous studies have demonstrated that berberine decreases N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity in human leukemia HL-60 cells, however, NAT gene expression has not been investigated. In this study, berberine was selected for testing the inhibition of N-acetylation of 2-aminofluorene (AF) and NAT gene expression in human HL-60 cells. The N-acetylation of AF was determined and quantitated by high ...

Malaria is one of the most severe public health problems worldwide. Here, we investigated the ameliorative role of berberine against Plasmodium chabaudi-induced spleen injury. Mice were divided into 3 groups. The first group served as a vehicle control, the second group was infected with 10 P. chabaudi infected erythrocytes and the third group was infected with P. chabaudi then treated with 10 ...

Drosophila melanogaster mutants with deficient kynurenine (KYN) formation from tryptophan (TRP) have longer life span than wild type flies. Administration of alpha-methyl-TRP and 5-methyl-TRY, the inhibitors of TRP-KYN metabolism, prolonged life span in wild-type flies. Both inhibitors are not available for human use. Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Berberis aristata, is known...

Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C3 has recently been regarded as a potential therapeutic target in castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Herein, we investigated whether berberine delayed the progression of castrate-resistant prostate cancer by reducing androgen synthesis through the inhibition of Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C3. Cell viability and cellular testosterone content were mea...

Background: Diabetes mellitus increases the risk of central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as stroke, seizures, dementia, and cognitive impairment. Berberine, a natural isoquinolne alkaloid, is reported to exhibit beneficial effect in various neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Moreover astrocytes are proving critical for normal CNS function, and alterations in their activity...