Berberine alleviates hepatic aging in mice by modulating oxidative stress and inflammatory
10.3760/cma.j.cn311282-20230828-00046
- VernacularTitle:盐酸小檗碱通过调节氧化应激和炎症通路改善小鼠肝脏衰老
- Author:
Han LI
1
;
Qiuyue HU
;
Qing SU
;
Hongmei ZHANG
Author Information
1. 上海交通大学医学院附属新华医院内分泌科，上海 200092
- Keywords:
Aging;
Berberine;
Inflammation;
Oxidative stress
- From:
Chinese Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism
2023;39(12):1067-1073
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To explore the anti-aging effects of berberine hydrochloride and underlying mechanism.Methods:Twelve 4-week-old C57BL6/J mice were divided into aging group (fed with normal chaw), aging+ BBR intervention group(fed with normal chaw containing 1 g/kg berberine hydrochloride). At the age of 64 weeks, all the experimental mice were executed. The liver tissues were made into paraffin sections for HE staining to observe the morphological and structural integrity of liver parenchymal cells for pathological evaluation. Immunofluorescence was used to detect p16 protein expression levels in liver. The expression levels of malondialdehyde(MDA), superoxide dismutase(SOD), and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) were detected by colorimetry. The expression levels of interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in liver tissues and IL-8 in serum were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) technique. The p16, p21, nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2(Nrf2), nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB), phospho(p-)NF-κB, inhibitory κB(IκB)α, p-IκBα, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) protein expression levels in liver were detected by Western blotting. The same indices were tested in the 16-week-old mice as the young control group.Results:Compared with the young control group, the liver tissue in the aging control group exhibited morphological aging and antioxidant capacity were reduced( P<0.01), and inflammatory factors were increased( P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the aging group, the liver tissues in the aging+ BBR intervention group were still maintain regular arrangement of hepatocytes, the p16 and p21 protein expression levels were significantly increased( P<0.05 or P<0.01), the antioxidant capacity were increased( P<0.05 or P<0.01), the level of inflammatory factors were decresed( P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway and Nrf2 pathway were inhibited( P<0.001). Conclusion:Berberine hydrochloride improves the aging morphology of the liver, potentially by suppressing the p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway to reduce inflammation levels and inhibiting the Nrf2 pathway to ameliorate oxidative stress.
