Berberine chloride (BBR) is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from medicinal herbs. It has been reported that the intestinal absorption of BBR is very low. In this study, the absolute bioavailability of BBR was studied, and the enhancing effects of D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) on intestinal absorption were investigated in rats. BBR injection was administrated via the femoral vein at a dose of 1.0 mg kg(-1) in intravenous group, and BBR oral formulations were administrated by oral gavage at a dose of 100 mg kg(-1) in BBR control (control) group and BBR-TPGS (test) group, respectively. The result showed that BBR had a very low absolute bioavailability of 0.68%, and TPGS could enhance intestinal absorption of BBR significantly. TPGS at a concentration of 2.5% could improve peak concentration (C(max)) and area under the curve (AUC(0-36)) of BBR by 2.9 and 1.9 times, respectively. The absorption enhancing ability of TPGS may be due to its ability to affect the biological activity of P-glycoprotein and thereby reduce the excretion of absorbed BBR into the intestinal lumen. This study indicated that absolute bioavailability of BBR was 0.68% in rats, and TPGS was a good absorption enhancer capable of enhancing intestinal absorption of BBR significantly.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Background and Aims. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an alarming global health problem that is predicted to be the major cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation by next decade. Gut microbiota have been revealed playing an important role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Sheng-Jiang Powder (SJP), an empirical Chinese medicine formula to treat NAFLD, showed great hepatoprotective properties, but the impact on gut microbiota has never been identified. Therefore, we performed this study to investigate the effect of SJP on gut microbiota in NAFLD mice. Methods. NAFLD was induced by 12 weeks’ high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Mice were treated with SJP/normal saline daily for 6 weeks. Blood samples were obtained for serum biochemical indices and inflammatory cytokines measurement. Liver tissues were obtained for pathological evaluation and oil red O staining. The expression of lipid metabolism-related genes was quantified by RT-PCR and Western blotting. Changes in gut microbiota composition were analyzed by the 16s rDNA sequencing technique. Results. HFD feeding induced significant increase in bodyweight and serum levels of TG, TC, ALT, and AST. The pathological examination revealed obvious hepatic steatosis in HFD feeding mice. Coadministration of SJP effectively protected against bodyweight increase and lipid accumulation in blood and liver. Increased expression of PPARγ mRNA was observed in HFD feeding mice, but a steady elevation of PPARγ protein level was only found in SJP-treated mice. Meanwhile, the expression of FASN was much higher in HFD feeding mice. Microbiome analysis revealed obvious changes in gut microbiota composition among diverse groups. SJP treatment modulated the relative abundance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) producing bacteria, including norank-f-Erysipelotrichaceae and Roseburia. Conclusions. SJP is efficient in attenuating HFD-induced NAFLD, and it might be partly attributed to the regulation of gut microbiota.