Guo-Yu Pan | PubMed Health

PubMed2003

The antihyperglycaemic activity of berberine arises from a decrease of glucose absorption.

The mechanism of action of berberine as an antihyperglycaemic agent was investigated in the Caco-2 cell line. Berberine was found to effectively inhibit the activity of disaccharidases in Caco-2 cells. It also decreased sucrase activity after preincubation with Caco-2 cells for 72 hours. However gluconeogenesis and glucose consumption of Caco-2 cells were not influenced. 2-Deoxyglucose transporting through Caco-2 cell monolayers was decreased by berberine but the effect was not statistically significant. These results suggest that the antihyperglycaemic activity of berberine is at least partly due to its ability to inhibit alpha-glucosidase and decrease glucose transport through the intestinal epithelium.

Berberine↗

PubMed2002

Cyclosporin A enhanced protection of nimodipine against brain damage induced by hypoxia-ischemia in mice and rats.

AIM: To study whether P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA) enhanced the protection of nimodipine (NMD) against brain damage. METHOD: (1) After mice were given ip NMD alone or co-administration of CsA, survival time of mice were recorded following decapitation and ip injection of NaNO2, respectively. (2) After rats were given ip NMD alone or co-administration of CsA, 20 min forebrain ischemia induced by the technique of two-carotid occlusion plus hypovolemic hypotension. Following reperfusion of 1 h, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), lactic acid (LA) and activity of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) in cortex tissue were measured. (3) NMD level in brain was also determined after ip injection of NMD 2 mg/kg alone and co-administration of CsA, respectively. RESULTS: NMD showed potent pharmacological activity in the three models. The survival time of mice by decapitation and ip NaNO2 were significantly (P <0.05) prolonged after co-administration of CsA. In rat forebrain ischemia/reperfusion, levels of MDA, LA, and LDH by co-administration of CsA were greatly modified, compared with those of NMD alone group. The level of NMD in rat brain was increased markedly after co-administration of CsA. CONCLUSION: P-gp inhibitor CsA may enhance the protection of NMD against brain damage.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗