Berberine improves lipid dysregulation in obesity by controlling central and peripheral AMPK activity

Abstract

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays an important role in regulating whole body energy homeostasis. Recently, it has been demonstrated that berberine (BBR) exerts antiobesity and antidiabetic effects in obese and diabetic rodent models through the activation of AMPK in peripheral tissues. Here we show that BBR improves lipid dysregulation and fatty liver in obese mice through central and peripheral actions. In obese db/db and ob/ob mice, BBR treatment reduced liver weight, hepatic and plasma triglyceride, and cholesterol contents. In the liver and muscle of db/db mice, BBR promoted AMPK activity and fatty acid oxidation and changed expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism. Additionally, intracerebroventricular administration of BBR decreased the level of malonyl-CoA and stimulated the expression of fatty acid oxidation genes in skeletal muscle. Together, these data suggest that BBR would improve fatty liver in obese subjects, which is probably mediated not only by peripheral AMPK activation but also by neural signaling from the central nervous system.

A clinical study on the short-term effect of berberine in comparison to metformin on the metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovary syndrome

“…Although, our 3-month treatment period led to decrease in concentrations of insulin and androgens as it was reported elsewhere (11,12,32,33), we could not confirm significant effect of MET on weight change and lipid profile as it was shown by others (11,12,34). Three months may be too short a time to demonstrate the effect of MET on metabolic abnormalities sufficiently.…”

Beneficial effect of berberine on hepatic insulin resistance in diabetic hamsters possibly involves in SREBPs, LXR.ALPHA. and PPAR.ALPHA. transcriptional programs

“…However, reversed gene expression alterations were observed in berberine-treated diabetic hamsters. These gene expression alterations imply that the increased hepatic key gluconeogenic genes expression such as PEPCK, G-6-Pase and PGC-1α in diabetic hamster, which help to induce the development of insulin resistance and the onset of diabetes [18], is possibly downregulated by the increased LXRα to reduce hepatic gluconeo- Recently, Kim WS et al [28] have shown that berberine-induced improvement of hyperlipidemia and fatty liver by intraperitoneal administration in obese animals including db/db and ob/ob mice is mediated by activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) through increasing the phosphorylation levels of AMPK in peripheral tissues, notably liver and muscle, accompanied by changes in gene expression programs involved in lipid metabolism. In this study, we used the non-genetic type 2 diabetic hamsters to investigate the beneficial effects of berberine on FIHIR.…”

Anti-obesity effects ofLysimachia foenum-graecumcharacterized by decreased adipogenesis and regulated lipid metabolism

“…Fatty acid oxidation assays were performed as previously described, with modifications (Kim et al, 2009). Briefly, cells were incubated in α-minimal essential medium (α-MEM; Hyclone) containing 0.1 mM of 9,10-[ 3 H] palmitate (5 μCi/ml, Perkin Elmer) and 2% bovine serum albumin for 24 h. After incubation, the medium was precipitated with an equal volume of 10% trichloroacetic acid (Sigma).…”