Effect of berberine on hyperglycaemia and gut microbiota composition in type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats

• Published in: World journal of gastroenterology : WJG Vol. 27; no. 8; pp. 708 - 724
• Main Authors: Zhao, Jin-Dong, Li, Yan, Sun, Min, Yu, Chan-Juan, Li, Jia-Yun, Wang, Si-Hai, Yang, Di, Guo, Cheng-Lin, Du, Xue, Zhang, Wen-Jin, Cheng, Ruo-Dong, Diao, Xiao-Chuan, Fang, Zhao-Hui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Baishideng Publishing Group Inc 28.02.2021
• Subjects: Animals; Basic Study; Berberine - pharmacology; Berberine - therapeutic use; Blood Glucose; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - drug therapy; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Hyperglycemia - drug therapy; Rats; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Berberine; Metformin; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Modulation of gut microbiota; Amelioration of hyperglycaemia; Goto-Kakizaki rats
• ISSN: 1007-9327; 2219-2840
• DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i8.708

A recent investigation showed that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is 12.8% among individuals of Han ethnicity. Gut microbiota has been reported to play a central role in T2DM. Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats show differences in gut microbiota compared to non-diabetic rats. Previous studies have indicated that berberine could be successfully used to manage T2DM. We sought to understand its hypoglycaemic effect and role in the regulation of the gut microbiota. To determine whether berberine can regulate glucose metabolism in GK rats the gut microbiota. GK rats were acclimatized for 1 wk. The GK rats were randomly divided into three groups and administered saline (Mo), metformin (Me), or berberine (Be). The observation time was 8 wk, and weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) were measured. Pancreatic tissue was observed for pathological changes. Additionally, we sequenced the 16S rRNA V3-V4 region of the gut microbiota and analysed the structure. Compared with the Mo group, the Me and Be groups displayed significant differences in FBG ( < 0.01) and GLP-1 ( < 0.05). A significant decrease in weight and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance was noted in the Be group compared with those in the Me group ( < 0.01). The pancreatic islets of the Me- and Be-treated rats showed improvement in number, shape, and necrosis compared with those of Mo-treated rats. A total of 580 operational taxonomic units were obtained in the three groups. Compared to the Mo group, the Me and Be groups showed a shift in the structure of the gut microbiota. Correlation analysis indicated that FBG was strongly positively correlated with Clostridia_UCG-014 ( < 0.01) and negatively correlated with ( < 0.01). Body weight showed a positive correlation with ( < 0.01) and a negative correlation with ( < 0.01). Importantly, our results demonstrated that Me and Be could significantly decrease ( < 0.01) and the / ratio ( < 0.01). Furthermore, ( < 0.01; < 0.05) was significantly decreased in the Me and Be groups, and ( < 0.01) was significantly increased. Berberine has a substantial effect in improving metabolic parameters and modulating the gut microbiota composition in T2DM rats.