Abstract
Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid found in Coptidis Rhizoma (goldenthread) extract, has multiple pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anti-ischemic effects. In the present study, we examined the effects of berberine on neuronal survival and differentiation in a hippocampal precursor cell line and in the memory deficient rat model. Berberine increased in a dose dependent manner the survival of hippocampal precursor cells as well as differentiated cells. In addition, berberine promoted neuronal differentiation of hippocampal precursor cells. In the memory deficient rat model induced by stereotaxic injection of ibotenic acid into entorhinal cortex (Ibo model), hippocampal cells were increased about 2.7 fold in the pyramidal layer of CA1 region and about 2 fold in the dentate gyrus by administration of berberine after 2 weeks of ibotenic acid injection. Furthermore, neuronal cells immunoreactive to calbindin were increased in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex area by administration of berberine. Taken together, these results suggest that berberine has neuroprotective effect in the Ibo model rat brain by promoting the neuronal survival and differentiation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 203-209 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Animal Cells and Systems |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2008 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This research was supported by a grant (M103KV010008-07K2201-00810) from Brain Research Center of the 21st Century Frontier Research Program funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology and a grant (A040018AY120-408-A500040B) from the Korea health 21 R&D project funded by the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs. It was also supported by a grant (PR07033) from the GRRC of Gyeonggi Province to H.K.
Keywords
- Alzheimer's disease
- Berberine
- Ibo model
- Neural precursor cell
- Neuronal differentiation
- Neuronal survival
- Regeneration