<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The health benefits of berberine have been recognized for years. Even so, its effects on human neutrophils, the first line of immune defense, have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of berberine on the human neutrophil oxidative burst. Reactive oxygen species production was analyzed by luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence. The analysis was performed in spontaneous and stimulated (phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or opsonized zymosan particles (OZP)) whole blood and isolated neutrophils in the presence or absence of berberine. The effects of berberine on oxidant production in cell-free assays were evaluated using luminescence (H2O2-peroxidase-luminol) and fluorescence (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity – ORAC) techniques. Berberine decreased the production of reactive oxygen species in human whole blood and isolated neutrophils stimulated with either PMA or OZP with a different efficiency (EC50 was 69 μM and 197 μM for PMA and OZP, respectively). The effect was more pronounced in isolated neutrophils. Cell-free assays showed the antioxidant activity of berberine against peroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide. Based on our results, we suggest that the effects of berberine on reactive oxygen species production in human neutrophils are due to its antioxidant activity.</abstract>

The health benefits of berberine have been recognized for years. Even so, its effects on human neutrophils, the first line of immune defense, have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of berberine on the human neutrophil oxidative burst. Reactive oxygen species production was analyzed by luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence. The analysis was performed in spontaneous and stimulated (phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or opsonized zymosan particles (OZP)) whole blood and isolated neutrophils in the presence or absence of berberine. The effects of berberine on oxidant production in cell-free assays were evaluated using luminescence (H2O2-peroxidase-luminol) and fluorescence (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity – ORAC) techniques. Berberine decreased the production of reactive oxygen species in human whole blood and isolated neutrophils stimulated with either PMA or OZP with a different efficiency (EC50 was 69 μM and 197 μM for PMA and OZP, respectively). The effect was more pronounced in isolated neutrophils. Cell-free assays showed the antioxidant activity of berberine against peroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide. Based on our results, we suggest that the effects of berberine on reactive oxygen species production in human neutrophils are due to its antioxidant activity.

The effects of berberine on reactive oxygen species production in human neutrophils and in cell-free assays

Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

Zoology and Entomology Department, Faculty of Science

Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Slovak Academy of Sciences

Interdisciplinary Toxicology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The health benefits of berberine have been recognized for years. Even so, its effects on human neutrophils, the first line of immune defense, have not been...

The effects of berberine on reactive oxygen species production in human neutrophils and in cell-free assays

Published Online: Feb 14, 2018

Page range: 61 - 65

Received: Aug 25, 2017

Accepted: Sep 20, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/intox-2017-0010

Keywords
berberine, chemiluminescence, neutrophil, reactive oxygen species

© 2017 Interdisciplinary Toxicology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The effects of berberine on reactive oxygen species production in human neutrophils and in cell-free assays

Published Online: Feb 14, 2018

Page range: 61 - 65

Received: Aug 25, 2017

Accepted: Sep 20, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/intox-2017-0010

Keywordsberberine, chemiluminescence, neutrophil, reactive oxygen species

© 2017 Interdisciplinary Toxicology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
berberine, chemiluminescence, neutrophil, reactive oxygen species