Possible Interaction: Berberine and Norepinephrine

“In addition, NE induced the proliferation and migration of PASMCs, which was attenuated by berberine (BBR), a Chinese herbal medicine, and/or PP2A overexpression.”

“In cardiac hypertrophy models, berberine decreased plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline levels, as well as adrenaline content in the ventricular tissue, improved cardiac contractility and reduced the size of the left ventricular myocardium.”

“Chronic infusion of BBR reduced MAP, PVN Fra-like activity and plasma levels of NE , reduced NOX2, NOX4, Erk1/2, iNOS and induced Cu/Zn-SOD in the PVN.”

“Further, the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine were also significantly decreased by berberine administration (5 and 30mg/kg) in the striatal regions of 6-OHDA-lesioned rats.”

“Our findings demonstrated that berberine exerted antidepressant-like effect in various behavioural paradigms of despair possibly by modulating brain biogenic amines ( norepinephrine , serotonin or dopamine) and further, the antidepressant-like effect of berberine in the forced-swim test involved an interaction with the L-arginine-NO-cGMP pathway.”

“This suggests that the inhibitory effects of Ber on norepinephrine , K(+)-, and H2O2-induced [Ca2+]i elevation may be one of the mechanisms against cerebral ischemia.”

“ Berberine (25-200 microM) inhibited the response of the strips to norepinephrine and histamine, but did not decrease the high K(+)-elicited contraction.”

“ Berberine inhibited the response of aortic strips incubated in 0 mM Ca++ to norepinephrine , but did not reduce caffeine-induced contraction and also inhibited phospholipase C-activated contractile response, which has been ascribed to production of inositol phosphate-3 in smooth muscle cells.”

“The effects of Ber on SAN were not antagonized or reversed by atropine (1 mumol/L), alpha 2-… BHT-920 (10 mumol/L) or alpha 1-receptor agonist phenylephrine (10 mumol/L), but those effects of Ber on SCL, APA and … could be reversed by norepinephrine (0.1 …/L).”

“In mice, administration of BBR in the dose range of 5-10m/kg has been reported to raise the levels of serotonin (47%), dopamine (31%), and norepinephrine (29%) in CNS to allay depression.”