%0 Journal Article
%T The effects of berberine on hyperhomocysteinemia and hyperlipidemia in rats fed with a long-term high-fat diet
%A Xin-xia Chang
%A Hong-mei Yan
%A Qiong Xu
%A Ming-feng Xia
%A Hua Bian
%A Teng-fang Zhu
%A Xin Gao
%J Lipids in Health and Disease
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1476-511x-11-86
%X Healthy male SD rats weighing 190-210£¿g received randomly standard diet or a high-fat diet for 24£¿weeks. After 8£¿weeks of feeding, rats fed with HFD were randomized to receive berberine (200£¿mg ¡€ kg-1¡€ day-1) or vehicle by gavage for 16£¿weeks. After overnight fasting, all rats were sacrificed and total blood samples were also collected for determinant of fasting serum homocysteine (Hcy), total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels. The aorta was stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Sudan §º to evaluate aortic lesion. The livers were dissected out and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen for hepatic TC content and molecular analysis. 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR), Lipoprotein receptors and apolipoproteins gene expression in the liver were determined by real-time PCR.Intragastrical administration with berberine for 16£¿weeks lowered serum Hcy in rats fed with a high-fat diet. In parallel, it also decreased body weight and improved serum TC and LDL-c. Berberine also tended to decrease hepatic cholesterol. Consistently, berberine also upregulated LDL receptor (LDLR) mRNA level and suppressed HMGR gene expression. Meanwhile, upon berberine-treated rats, there was a significant increase in apolipoprotein E (apoE) mRNA, but no change in apoAI and scavenger receptor (SR) mRNA in the liver. Further, no atherosclerotic lesions were developed in berberine-treated rats for 16£¿weeks.Berberine can counteract HFD-elicited hyperhomocysteinemia and hyperlipidemia partially via upregulating LDLR and apoE mRNA levels and suppressing HMGR gene expression.
%K Berberine
%K Hyperhomocysteinemia
%K Hyperlipidemia
%U http://www.lipidworld.com/content/11/1/86/abstract