Abstract
The purpose of the present study is to confirm the protective effect of berberine (BBR) on gastrointestinal injury caused by acute heavy alcohol exposure, an effect that has not been reported previously. Our research details how BBR protects against gastrointestinal injuries from acute alcohol exposure using both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Acute high alcohol concentrations lead to obvious damage to the gastrointestinal mucosa, resulting in necrosis of the intestinal mucosa. Oral administration of BBR was able to significantly reduce this alcohol-induced damage, inhibit increases of alcohol-induced TNFα and IL-1β expression in gastrointestinal mucosa as well as their upstream signals TLR2 and TLR4, and regulate cytokines that modulate tight junctions. Alcohol consumption is a popular human social behavior worldwide, and the present study reports a comprehensive mechanism by which BBR protects against gastrointestinal injuries from alcohol stress, providing people with a novel application of BBR.
Highlights
The Chinese medical herb, Coptidis Rhizoma, has a long history of clinic use and use as a food supplement
It has previously been reported that 100% alcohol can cause erosion in rat stomach mucosa and can up-regulate the mRNA expression of c-fos, c-jun and HSP70 in the damaged epithelium; the necrosis in the stomach was less severe than in the small intestine [27], suggesting that the small intestines were more sensitive to alcohol damage
To understand the inflammatory response and abnormal expression of pattern recognition receptors (e.g., Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and NOD2) accompanying the ethanol-induced gastrointestinal mucosal injury, we studied the expression of TLR2, TLR4 and NOD2 and their down-stream effectors TNFα and IL1-β in mouse stomachs after acute alcohol exposure by q-PCR and western blot
Summary
The Chinese medical herb, Coptidis Rhizoma, has a long history of clinic use and use as a food supplement. In ancient Chinese medical literature, Coptidis Rhizoma was originally recorded for its applications in the treatment of gastrointestinal dysfunction, including diarrhea, dysentery, and inflammation. Berberine (BBR) is the most abundant active natural compound in Coptidis Rhizoma and plays a major role in the pharmacological effects of Coptidis Rhizoma, including anti-cancer, anti-stroke, anti-diabetes and anti-hyperlipidemia effects [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. BBR was recently reported to exhibit novel anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties as well as PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0134044. Berberine Protects Gastrointestinal Mucosa from Alcohol Injury BBR was recently reported to exhibit novel anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties as well as PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0134044 July 30, 2015
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