A New Berberine Preparation Protects Pancreatic Islet Cells from Apoptosis Mediated by Inhibition of Phospholipase [A.sub.2]/p38 MAPK Pathway

• Published in: Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine Vol. 173; no. 3; p. 346
• Main Authors: Bi, X.J, Lv, Y.Q, Yang, X.H, Ge, Y, Han, H, Feng, J.S, Zhang, M, Chen, L, Xu, M.Z, Guan, F.Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 01.07.2022
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Dextrose; Diabetes therapy; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; Glucose; Glucose metabolism; Health aspects; Insulin; Pancreatic beta cells; Phospholipases; Protein kinases; Type 2 diabetes
• ISSN: 0007-4888; 1573-8221
• DOI: 10.1007/s10517-022-05547-7

We studied an amorphous solid dispersion of berberine with absorption enhancer sodium caprate (Huang-Gui solid dispersion preparations, HGSD). A therapeutic effect of HGSD was revealed in mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus and palmitate-induced injury to MIN6 [beta]-cells. HGSD treatment (150 mg/kg) improved glucose metabolism and decreased [beta]-cell apoptosis in diabetic mice. Furthermore, the effective component of HGSD berberine significantly attenuated the palmitate-induced decrease in MIN6 [beta]-cells viability and insulin secretion. Moreover, molecular docking analysis and Western blotting showed that berberine decreased cell apoptosis and expression of group VIA phospholipase [A.sub.2] ([iPLA.sub.2]), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and caspase-3. These data suggest that HGSD treatment protected [beta]-cells via inhibiting the [iPLA.sub.2]/p38 MAPK pathway. Key Words: berberine; diabetes; islet cells; group VIA phospholipase [A.sub.2] ([iPLA.sub.2]); apoptosis