Berberine suppresses colorectal cancer by regulation of Hedgehog signaling pathway activity and gut microbiota

Qiang Sun; Han Yang; Maolun Liu; Shan Ren; Hui Zhao; Tianqi Ming; Shun Tang; Qiu Tao; Li Chen; Sha Zeng; Dayue Darrel Duan; Haibo Xu

doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154227

Berberine suppresses colorectal cancer by regulation of Hedgehog signaling pathway activity and gut microbiota

Phytomedicine. 2022 Aug:103:154227. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154227. Epub 2022 Jun 2.

Authors

Qiang Sun¹, Han Yang¹, Maolun Liu¹, Shan Ren¹, Hui Zhao¹, Tianqi Ming¹, Shun Tang¹, Qiu Tao¹, Li Chen¹, Sha Zeng¹, Dayue Darrel Duan², Haibo Xu³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China.
² Center for Phenomics of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China. Electronic address: dduan@swmu.edu.cn.
³ State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China. Electronic address: haibo.xu@cdutcm.edu.cn.

PMID: 35679795
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154227

Abstract

Background: A growing body of evidence reveals that dysregulation of Hedgehog signaling pathway and dysbiosis of gut microbiota are associated with the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Berberine, a botanical benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, possesses powerful activities against various malignancies including CRC, with the underlying mechanisms to be illuminated.

Purpose: The present study investigated the potencies of berberine on CRC and deciphered the action mechanisms in the context of Hedgehog signaling cascade and gut microbiota.

Methods: The effects of berberine on the malignant phenotype, apoptosis, cell cycle and Hedgehog signaling of CRC cells were examined in vitro. In azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium-caused mouse CRC, the efficacies of berberine on the carcinogenesis, pathological profile, apoptosis, cell cycle and Hedgehog signaling were determined in vivo. Also, the influences of berberine on gut microbiota in CRC mice were assessed by high-throughput DNA sequencing analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA of fecal microbiome in CRC mice.

Results: In the present study, berberine was found to dampen the proliferation, migration, invasion and colony formation of CRC cells, without toxicity to normal colonic cells. Additionally, berberine induced apoptosis and arrested cell cycle at G₀/G₁ phase in CRC cells, accompanied by reduced Hedgehog signaling pathway activity in vitro. In mouse CRC, berberine suppressed tumor growth, ameliorated pathological manifestations, and potentially induced the apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of CRC, with lowered Hedgehog signaling cascade in vivo. Additionally, berberine decreased β-diversity of gut microbiota in CRC mice, without influence on α-diversity. Berberine also enriched probiotic microbes and depleted pathogenic microbes, and modulated the functionality of gut microbiota in CRC mice.

Conclusions: Overall, berberine may suppress colorectal cancer, orchestrated by down-regulation of Hedgehog signaling pathway activity and modulation of gut microbiota.

Keywords: Berberine; Colorectal cancer; Gut microbiota; Hedgehog signaling.

MeSH terms

Animals
Azoxymethane
Berberine* / pharmacology
Colorectal Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Colorectal Neoplasms* / metabolism
Colorectal Neoplasms* / microbiology
Gastrointestinal Microbiome* / drug effects
Hedgehog Proteins / metabolism
Mice
Signal Transduction / drug effects

Substances

Hedgehog Proteins
Berberine
Azoxymethane