The short-term effects of berberine in the liver: Narrow margins between benefits and toxicity

Abstract

Berberine is a plant alkaloid to which antihyperglycemic properties have been attributed. It is also known as an inhibitor of mitochondrial functions. In this work short-term translation of the latter effects on hepatic metabolism were investigated using the isolated perfused rat liver. Once-through perfusion with a buffered saline solution was done. At low portal concentrations berberine modified several metabolic pathways. It inhibited hepatic gluconeogenesis, increased glycolysis, inhibited ammonia detoxification, increased the cytosolic NADH/NAD⁺ ratio and diminished the ATP levels. Respiration of intact mitochondria was impaired as well as the mitochondrial pyruvate carboxylation activity. These results can be regarded as evidence that the direct inhibitory effects of berberine on gluconeogenesis, mediated by both energy metabolism and pyruvate carboxylation inhibition, represent most likely a significant contribution to its clinical efficacy as an antihyperglycemic agent. However, safety concerns also arise because all effects occur at similar concentrations and there is a narrow margin between the expected benefits and toxicity. Even mild inhibition of gluconeogenesis is accompanied by diminutions in oxygen uptake and ammonia detoxification and increases in the NADH/NAD⁺ ratio. All combined, desired and undesired effects could well in the end represent a deleterious combination of events leading to disruption of cellular homeostasis.

Keywords: Alkaloid; Ammonia detoxification; Energy metabolism; Gluconeogenesis; Glycolysis.