Synergistic Effect of Berberine-Based Chinese Medicine Assembled Nanostructures on Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome In Vivo

Lei Li,Yunnong Mu,Jinchai Qi,Penglong Wang,Feng Gao,Haimin Lei,Chengxiang Wang,Xuehao Tian,Tong Li,Rui He,Fuhao Chu,Hongri Xu,Siyuan Lv,Herong Cui,Bing Xu,Hongshan Chen

doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.01210

Abstract

Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is one common chronic functional disease of the digestive system with limited treatments. The microbiota–gut–brain axis (MGBA) has a central function in the pathogeny of IBS-D, which includes the participation of many various factors, such as brain-gut peptides (BGPs), immune inflammation, and intestinal flora. Inspired by the drug combination in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), our previous study discovered that berberine (BBR) and baicalin (BA) could form natural self-assemblies as BA-BBR nanoparticles (BA-BBR NPs) and showed synergistic effects against IBS-D. Here, we investigated the synergistic effects of BA-BBR NPs on IBS-D model mice induced by chronic restraint stress plus Senna alexandrina Mill decoction with the influence on MGBA. BA-BBR NPs showed the best therapeutic effect on improving visceral hypersensitivity and diarrhea on IBS-D model mice, compared with BBR, BA, and BA/BBR mixture. Furthermore, BA-BBR NPs significantly (P<0.05) reduced the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and choline acety transferase (CHAT) in colon tissues or of serum from BGPs; it lowered the expressions of the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in colon tissues and changed the levels of basophil granulocyte (BASO) and leukomonocyte (LYMPH) in whole blood from immune inflammation; it altered the intestinal flora of Bacteroidia, Deferribacteres, Verrucomicrobia, Candidatus_Saccharibacteria, and Cyanobacteria from intestinal flora. In conclusion, BA-BBR NPs, after forming the natural self-assembly between BBR and BA, promoted the synergistic effect on IBS-D mice than the sum of BBR and BA effects, based to the formation of self-assemblies rather than the simple mixing. It further proved that synergistic effect of BA-BBR NPs on IBS-D mice might be related to BGPs, immune inflammation, and intestinal flora from three important interrelated components of MGBA. This study will provide a novel idea for the interpretation of TCM compatibility theory and provide the basis for BA-BBR NPs as a medicinal plant-derived natural and efficient nanomaterial for clinical use.

Highlights

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is an extremely common chronic non-organic disease of the digestive system (Chey et al, 2015)
We reported that BA-BBR NPs produced a synergistic effect on IBS-D mice, which might be related to BGPs, immune inflammation and intestinal flora from three important interrelated components of MGBA
Having demonstrated the synergistic action, we found that synergistic effect of BA-BBR NPs on IBS-D mice might be related to BGPs, immune inflammation and intestinal flora from three important interrelated components of MGBA

Summary

Introduction

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is an extremely common chronic non-organic disease of the digestive system (Chey et al, 2015). (Stasi et al, 2012; Osẃ ięcimska et al, 2017). Studies suggest that this interaction seems to be influenced by multiple factors such as BGPs, immune inflammation, and intestinal flora (Tjong et al, 2011; Ringel and Maharshak, 2013). Current treatment of IBS-D includes lifestyle and dietary interventions, antimotility drugs, probiotics, antispasmodics, and antidepressant medication (Ikechi et al, 2017). There is still no well-established treatment program for IBS-D that provided persistent relief for the multiple symptoms of IBS-D (Chey et al, 2015)

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