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Investigating the Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant and Apoptotic Protein Inhibition Study of Berberine on Diabetic Retinopathy in Rats

1, 2, 3, 4

  1. 1Department of Medical Imaging Center, Jinan Central Hospital, Jie fang, Lixia, Jinan, Shandong Province, CHINA.
  2. 2Department of Pediatrics, Jinan Central Hospital, Jie fang, Lixia, Jinan, Shandong Province, CHINA.
  3. 3Department of Internal Medicine, Jinan Licheng District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Hongjialou South, Licheng, Jinan, Shandong Province, CHINA.
  4. 4Department of Digestive, Jinan Central Hospital, Jie fang, Lixia, Jinan, Shandong Province, CHINA.

CORRESPONDENCE

Dr. Jing Zhang

Department of Digestive, Jinan Central Hospital, Jie fang, Lixia, Jinan, CHINA..

jingzhang100@outlook.com

Received: 18-07-2024; Revised: 25-10-2024; Accepted: 13-12-2024.

Volume 59, Issue 2 · pp. 647-654 · 2025 · DOI: 10.5530/ijper.20250344

ABSTRACT

Background: Globally, Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of vision loss. This disease, which impacts the microvasculature of the retina, is brought on by the oxidative stress linked to diabetes. Several studies have shown the anti-diabetic properties of the plant-derived phytochemical "Berberine". However, there is a limited amount of research available on its effects, specifically on Diabetic Retinopathy (DR).Objectives: The primary aim of the present investigation is to assess the impact of berberine on DR in rats by examining its underlying influence on oxidative stress, inflammation and programmed cell death.Materials and Methods: The current study effectively established a rat model of diabetic retinopathy utilizing Streptozotocin (STZ). The diabetic rats were treated for 12 weeks and evaluated for inflammatory markers (TNF-α, VEGF), antioxidant markers (superoxide, dismutase, catalase and glutathione) and apoptosis markers (Bcl-2, Bax, Cleaved-caspase-3).Results: The results demonstrated that Berberine treatment had a significant hypoglycemic index when compared to the diabetic group. Berberine therapy significantly reduced high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and VEGF) in the diabetic retina. Berberine also was effective in modulating the antioxidant enzymes and bringing their concentrations to acceptable levels. Berberine treatment also reduced the apoptosis of diabetic mice retina by reducing the elevated ROS level caused by high glucose and reduced the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and the expression of cleaved caspase-3.Conclusion: Based on the findings, it is possible to infer that Berberine has potential as a pharmacological candidate for the prevention of DR.

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    Wang, L., Fei, W., Qin, C., & Zhang, J. (2025). Investigating the Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant and Apoptotic Protein Inhibition Study of Berberine on Diabetic Retinopathy in Rats. Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, 59(2), 647-654. https://doi.org/10.5530/ijper.20250344

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    © 2025 Author(s)

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. CC BY 4.0