Effect of berberine on hyperglycaemia and gut microbiota composition in type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats
Jindong Zhao, Yan Li, Min Sun, Chanjuan Yu, Jiayun Li, Si-Hai Wang, Di Yang, Chenglin Guo, Xue Du, Wenjin Zhang, Ruo-Dong Cheng, Xiao-Chuan Diao, Zhaohui Fang
Abstract
BACKGROUND: A recent investigation showed that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is 12.8% among individuals of Han ethnicity. Gut microbiota has been reported to play a central role in T2DM. Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats show differences in gut microbiota compared to non-diabetic rats. Previous studies have indicated that berberine could be successfully used to manage T2DM. We sought to understand its hypoglycaemic effect and role in the regulation of the gut microbiota. AIM: the gut microbiota. METHODS: GK rats were acclimatized for 1 wk. The GK rats were randomly divided into three groups and administered saline (Mo), metformin (Me), or berberine (Be). The observation time was 8 wk, and weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) were measured. Pancreatic tissue was observed for pathological changes. Additionally, we sequenced the 16S rRNA V3-V4 region of the gut microbiota and analysed the structure. RESULTS: < 0.01) was significantly increased. CONCLUSION: Berberine has a substantial effect in improving metabolic parameters and modulating the gut microbiota composition in T2DM rats.