Effects of berberine hydrochloride on intestinal microflora and inflammatory factors in type 2 diabetes model rats
Authors: Chen Cheng , Sha Wenjun , Xu Bilin , Zhang Cuiping , Xia Juan , Lei Tao 
Published: February 2024

Objective: To examine the impact of berberine hydrochloride on the intestinal microbiota and inflammatory variables in rats with a model of type 2 diabetes
Methodology: A cohort of 80 male Sprague-Dawley rats was chosen as the experimental population. To develop a type 2 diabetic rat model, the rats were fed a diet rich in glucose and fat for a period of 2 months. Additionally, they were given an injection of streptozotocin at a dosage of 25mg/kg directly into their peritoneal cavity. The rats underwent intragastric intervention with berberine hydrochloride, resulting in the establishment of a control group, a model group, a berberine hydrochloride group, and a metformin group. In order to assess the impact of berberine hydrochloride on the intestinal microflora and inflammatory factors in rats with type 2 diabetes, we assessed the alterations in the structure of the intestinal flora and the disparities in serum inflammatory variables across the four groups.
Results: The body weight of all four groups exhibited a consistent and significant increase from 0 to 4 weeks (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in body weight between the berberine hydrochloride group and the modeling group (P>0.05), and their body weight was lower than that of the normal control group and the metformin group. The observed discrepancy was statistically significant, with a p-value of less than 0.05. Body weight measurements at weeks 0, 2, 3, and 4 showed a consistent pattern: the normal control group had the highest body weight, followed by the metformin group, the berberine hydrochloride group, and finally the modeling group. These differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no notable disparities in FBG (fasting blood glucose), FINS (fasting insulin), IL-6 (interleukin-6), and TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) across the four groups prior to modeling, with a p-value greater than 0.05. Following the modeling process, the levels of FNG, FINS, IL-6, and TNF-α were considerably elevated in the modeling group, berberine hydrochloride group, and metformin group. These levels were notably higher compared to those in the normal control group. Following intervention, the berberine hydrochloride group and metformin group exhibited substantial reductions in FBG, FINS, IL-6, and TNF-α compared to their pre-modeling levels. Conversely, the modeling group had large increases in FBG, FINS, IL-6, and TNF-α. Statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were observed between the berberine hydrochloride group and the metformin group, except for the IL-6 index (P>0.05). The IL-6 levels in the berberine hydrochloride group were lower than those in the metformin group. Additionally, all of the aforementioned indexes were significantly lower in both treatment groups compared to the modeling group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant disparity in the quantity of Lactobacillus and Enterostreptococcus among the four groups prior to modeling (P>0.05). The modeling group, berberine hydrochloride group, and metformin group all showed a statistically significant drop in the number of lactobacillus and an increase in the number of enterostreptococcus after modeling (P<0.05). Following intervention, the Berberine hydrochloride group and metformin group showed a significant increase in the number of lactobacilli compared to before the modeling. Additionally, there was a noticeable decrease in intestinal streptococcus. These differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). In terms of lactobacillus count, the berberine hydrochloride group had the highest count, followed by the metformin group, control group, and normal module. On the other hand, in terms of intestinal streptococcus count, the berberine hydrochloride group had the lowest count, followed by the metformin group, build module, and normal control group. A statistically significant difference was seen between the groups (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Both berberine hydrochloride and metformin have the ability to enhance the advancement of type 2 diabetic mice. However, berberine hydrochloride has a superior impact in enhancing the levels of inflammatory mediators, lowering insulin resistance, and changing the structure of the intestinal microbiota in rats.