Open Access

Berberine protects against diet-induced obesity through regulating metabolic endotoxemia and gut hormone levels

  • Authors:
    • Jian Hui Xu
    • Xing Zhen Liu
    • Wei Pan
    • Da Jin Zou
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: March 14, 2017     https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2017.6321
  • Pages: 2765-2787
  • Copyright: © Xu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

Systemic inflammation, which can be induced by metabolic endotoxemia, and corresponding high‑fat diet‑mediated metabolic disorders are associated with gut microbiota. In the present study reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence, pyrosequencing, ELISA and Oil Red O staining were performed to assess whether berberine can protect against diet-induced obesity, through modulating the gut microbiota and consequently improving metabolic endotoxemia and gastrointestinal hormone levels. Alterations in the gut microbiota induced by berberine resulted in a significant reduction in bacterial lipopolysaccharide levels in portal plasma. Levels of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, as well as the mRNA expression levels of macrophage infiltration markers in visceral adipose tissue, were also reduced by berberine. Inhibition of the inflammatory response was associated with a reduction in intestinal permeability and an increase in the expression of tight junction proteins. In addition, berberine was reported to restore aberrant levels of gut hormones in the portal plasma, such as glucagon‑like peptide‑1 and ‑2, peptide YY, glucose‑dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and pancreatic polypeptide. The present findings indicated that berberine, through modulating gut microbiota, restored the gut barrier, reduced metabolic endotoxemia and systemic inflammation, and improved gut peptide levels in high‑fat diet‑fed rats. The present study suggests that berberine may be an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of obesity and insulin resistance.
View Figures
View References

Related Articles

Journal Cover

May-2017
Volume 15 Issue 5

Print ISSN: 1791-2997
Online ISSN:1791-3004

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Xu JH, Liu XZ, Pan W and Zou DJ: Berberine protects against diet-induced obesity through regulating metabolic endotoxemia and gut hormone levels. Mol Med Rep 15: 2765-2787, 2017
APA
Xu, J.H., Liu, X.Z., Pan, W., & Zou, D.J. (2017). Berberine protects against diet-induced obesity through regulating metabolic endotoxemia and gut hormone levels. Molecular Medicine Reports, 15, 2765-2787. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2017.6321
MLA
Xu, J. H., Liu, X. Z., Pan, W., Zou, D. J."Berberine protects against diet-induced obesity through regulating metabolic endotoxemia and gut hormone levels". Molecular Medicine Reports 15.5 (2017): 2765-2787.
Chicago
Xu, J. H., Liu, X. Z., Pan, W., Zou, D. J."Berberine protects against diet-induced obesity through regulating metabolic endotoxemia and gut hormone levels". Molecular Medicine Reports 15, no. 5 (2017): 2765-2787. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2017.6321