Preventive effect of Coptis chinensis and berberine on intestinal injury in rats challenged with lipopolysaccharides

Coptis chinensis has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat inflammatory symptoms. Berberine is the main alkaloid compound of C. chinensis. This study utilized a typical lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injured model to investigate the effects of C. chinensis aqueous extract (CCAE) and berberine (major active ingredient in CCAE) in the gut-derived sepsis. In rats, pretreatment with different doses of berberine (30 or 120 mg/kg bw, i.g.; BBR30 or BBR120) or CCAE (containing 9.9% berberine; 300 mg/kg bw, i.g.; CCAE300) prior to the administration of LPS (20 mg/kg bw, i.p.) significantly suppressed the increased tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and nitrite oxide (NO) in plasma as well as the activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in ileum. In addition, CCAE300 and BBR30 markedly elevated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px); significantly prevented the increased malondialdehyde (MDA), NO and villi injury in ileum compared with the negative control. Collectively, CCAE300 and BBR30 reduced the LPS-induced intestinal damage by elevating the activities of SOD and GSH-Px and by suppressing the activation of TLR4 and NF-κB in ileum. These results indicate that CCAE and berberine are promising agents for preventing sepsis and its complications.