Inhibition of chemical carcinogenesis by berberine in rats and mice

Berberine, an alkaloid isolated from the plant Berberis aristata, has been found to inhibit significantly the carcinogenesis induced by 20-methylchola nthrene (200 mug/0.1 mL/mouse) or N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA; 0.02 % NDEA in distilled water, 2.5 mL/animal by gavage, five days a week for 20 weeks) in a dose-dependent manner in small animals. Administration of berberine ( 0.5, 2.5 or 5.0 mg kg(-1)) could reduce significantly the incidence of tumo ur in animals after an injection of 20-methylcholanthrene and increased the ir life span compared with the control. When berberine (10, 25 or 50 mg kg( -1)) was administered simultaneously with NDEA, the markers of liver injury (liver weight, gamma -glutamyl transpeptidase activity and glutathione 5-t ransferase level) were reduced significantly compared with animals treated with NDEA only, which resulted in all the values being elevated. A similar decrease was noted in the serum levels of lipid peroxide, bilirubin and glu tamate pyruvate transaminase. Morphology of liver tissue and levels of mark er enzymes indicated that berberine offered protection against chemical car cinogenesis.