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      Application of Berberine on Treating Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

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          Abstract

          Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) performs a good clinical practice and is showing a bright future in the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). TCM treatment has certain advantages of less toxicity and/or side effects, and herbs could provide multiple therapeutic effects. Berberine (BBR) is a classical natural medicine. In this review, we summarize the application of BBR in the treatment of DM from two aspects. First, modern pharmacological effects of BBR on glucose metabolism are summarized, such as improving insulin resistance, promoting insulin secretion, inhibiting gluconeogenesis in liver, stimulating glycolysis in peripheral tissue cells, modulating gut microbiota, reducing intestinal absorption of glucose, and regulating lipid metabolism. BBR is used to treat diabetic nephropathy (DPN), diabetic neuropathy (DN), and diabetic cardiomyopathy due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Second, the clinical application of BBR is reviewed, such as listing some clinical trials on the effectiveness and safety of BBR, explaining applicable stage and syndrome, the reasonable dose and dose formulation, and the toxicity and/or side effects. This review provides scientific evidence about BBR, as well as introducing some traditional Chinese medical theory and clinical experience, in order to guide clinician to use BBR more suitably and reasonably.

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          The mechanisms of action of PPARs.

          The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are a group of three nuclear receptor isoforms, PPAR gamma, PPAR alpha, and PPAR delta, encoded by different genes. PPARs are ligand-regulated transcription factors that control gene expression by binding to specific response elements (PPREs) within promoters. PPARs bind as heterodimers with a retinoid X receptor and, upon binding agonist, interact with cofactors such that the rate of transcription initiation is increased. The PPARs play a critical physiological role as lipid sensors and regulators of lipid metabolism. Fatty acids and eicosanoids have been identified as natural ligands for the PPARs. More potent synthetic PPAR ligands, including the fibrates and thiazolidinediones, have proven effective in the treatment of dyslipidemia and diabetes. Use of such ligands has allowed researchers to unveil many potential roles for the PPARs in pathological states including atherosclerosis, inflammation, cancer, infertility, and demyelination. Here, we present the current state of knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms of PPAR action and the involvement of the PPARs in the etiology and treatment of several chronic diseases.
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            Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

            Berberine has been shown to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism in vitro and in vivo. This pilot study was to determine the efficacy and safety of berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. In study A, 36 adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomly assigned to treatment with berberine or metformin (0.5 g 3 times a day) in a 3-month trial. The hypoglycemic effect of berberine was similar to that of metformin. Significant decreases in hemoglobin A1c (from 9.5%+/-0.5% to 7.5%+/-0.4%, P<.01), fasting blood glucose (from 10.6+/-0.9 mmol/L to 6.9+/-0.5 mmol/L, P<.01), postprandial blood glucose (from 19.8+/-1.7 to 11.1+/-0.9 mmol/L, P<.01), and plasma triglycerides (from 1.13+/-0.13 to 0.89+/-0.03 mmol/L, P<.05) were observed in the berberine group. In study B, 48 adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus were treated supplemented with berberine in a 3-month trial. Berberine acted by lowering fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose from 1 week to the end of the trial. Hemoglobin A1c decreased from 8.1%+/-0.2% to 7.3%+/-0.3% (P<.001). Fasting plasma insulin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index were reduced by 28.1% and 44.7% (P<.001), respectively. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were decreased significantly as well. During the trial, 20 (34.5%) patients experienced transient gastrointestinal adverse effects. Functional liver or kidney damages were not observed for all patients. In conclusion, this pilot study indicates that berberine is a potent oral hypoglycemic agent with beneficial effects on lipid metabolism.
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              Natural medicines used in the traditional Chinese medical system for therapy of diabetes mellitus.

              The rapidly increasing diabetes mellitus is becoming a serious threat to mankind health in all parts of the world. The control and treatment of diabetes and its complications mainly depend on the chemical or biochemical agents, but the fact is that it has never been reported that someone had recovered totally from diabetes. With the distinctive traditional medical opinions and natural medicines mainly originated in herbs, the traditional Chinese medicine performed a good clinical practice and is showing a bright future in the therapy of diabetes mellitus and its complications. Based on a large number of chemical and pharmacological research work, numerous bioactive compounds have been found in Chinese medicinal plants for diabetes. The present paper reviews 86 natural medicines with regards to their origin, anti-diabetic active principles and/or pharmacological test results, which are commonly used in the traditional Chinese medical system and have demonstrated experimental or/and clinical anti-diabetic effectiveness. Among these natural medicines, 82 originate from plants and 4 from animals or insects, which covers 45 families. It is strongly significant to pay close attention to traditional Chinese medical therapeutics and natural medicines for treatment of diabetes mellitus and its complications. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Int J Endocrinol
                Int J Endocrinol
                IJE
                International Journal of Endocrinology
                Hindawi Publishing Corporation
                1687-8337
                1687-8345
                2015
                11 March 2015
                : 2015
                : 905749
                Affiliations
                1Department of Endocrinology, Guang'anmen Hospital of China, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100054, China
                2Laboratory of Molecular and Biology, Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100054, China
                3Department of Digestion, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital University of Medicine Sciences, Beijing 100010, China
                Author notes

                Academic Editor: Hyun C. Lee

                Article
                10.1155/2015/905749
                4377488
                25861268
                aade6dbb-f278-469d-99e6-2039a23270a7
                Copyright © 2015 Bing Pang et al.

                This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

                History
                : 22 December 2014
                : 24 February 2015
                Categories
                Review Article

                Endocrinology & Diabetes
                Endocrinology & Diabetes

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