Journal Article

Berberine increases stromal production of Wnt molecules and activates Lgr5+ stem cells to promote epithelial restitution in experimental colitis

Li, Baojie, Geng, Funeng, Luo, Zecheng, He, Guanlin, Ma, Xiuying, Li, Zihao, Liu, Huijuan, Liang, Zheng, Shen, Lei, Wang, Dongdi, Wang, Zhengting, Wang, Haozhong, Liu, Wenping, Wang, Lin

2022

Overview

Background Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are characterized by sustained inflammation and/or ulcers along the lower digestive tract, and have complications such as colorectal cancer and inflammation in other organs. The current treatments for IBDs, which affect 0.3% of the global population, mainly target immune cells and inflammatory cytokines with a success rate of less than 40%. Results Here we show that berberine, a natural plant product, is more effective than the frontline drug sulfasalazine in treating DSS (dextran sulfate sodium)-induced colitis in mice, and that berberine not only suppresses macrophage and granulocyte activation but also promotes epithelial restitution by activating Lgr5 + intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Mechanistically, berberine increases the expression of Wnt genes in resident mesenchymal stromal cells, an ISC niche, and inhibiting Wnt secretion diminishes the therapeutic effects of berberine. We further show that berberine controls the expression of many circadian rhythm genes in stromal cells, which in turn regulate the expression of Wnt molecules. Conclusions Our findings suggest that berberine acts on the resident stromal cells and ISCs to promote epithelial repair in experimental colitis and that Wnt-β-Catenin signaling may be a potential target for colitis treatment.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Animals / Antibiotics / Bacteria / Berberine / Berberine - pharmacology / Berberine - therapeutic use / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Care and treatment / Cell activation / Chemokines / Circadian rhythm / Circadian rhythms / Colitis / Colitis - chemically induced / Colitis - drug therapy / Colon / Colorectal cancer / Colorectal carcinoma / Complications / Cytokines / Dextran / Dextran sulfate / Dextran Sulfate - adverse effects / Dextrans / Disease Models, Animal / Gastrointestinal tract / Gene expression / Genes / Health aspects / Immune system / Inflammation / Inflammation - drug therapy / Inflammation - metabolism / Inflammatory bowel disease / Inflammatory bowel diseases / Intestinal Mucosa - metabolism / ISC / Leukocytes (granulocytic) / Life Sciences / Macrophages / Mesenchyme / Metabolism / Mice / Microbiota / Pathogenesis / Physiological aspects / Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled - genetics / Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled - metabolism / Research Article / Stem cell transplantation / Stem cells / Stem Cells - metabolism / Stromal cell / Stromal cells / Sulfasalazine / Ulcers / Wnt / Wnt protein / Wnt proteins / β-Catenin