Does berberine help fatty liver disease?

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered a critical hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome.

Berberine

(BBR) exerts antihyperglycemic and antidyslipidemic effects and may also improve NAFLD. Therefore, BBR could exert its therapeutic effect on NAFLD by improving glycolipid metabolism. The research time of these articles included in this study was shorter, with the longest being 16 weeks, while NAFLD is a chronic disease, and it could take longer to manage the improvement of the hepatic pathological index and the biochemical index.

Berberine improves lipid dysregulation in obesity by controlling central and peripheral AMPK activity. Berberine attenuates hepatic steatosis and improves energy expenditure in mice by inducing autophagy and fibroblast growth factor 21. These actions explain the enormous benefits of berberine for people with insulin resistance (syndrome X) and obesity. Some plant medicines containing berberine (BBR) have been widely used for centuries in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine. Although in different models, the mode of action of BBR is different, BBR could reduce levels of TC, TG, ALT, AST, etc.

through the above mechanisms and, in turn, improve liver function. Berberine reduces methylation of the MTTP promoter and relieves fatty liver induced by a high-fat diet in rats. The objective of this study was to elucidate the protective effects of berberine on the intestinal mucosal barrier by regulating intestinal flora in rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Studies have shown that berberine can help lower blood sugar and cholesterol, and even facilitate weight loss.

So we just performed a descriptive analysis in which berberine decreased AST levels in two trials; and, in one trial, berberine groups substantially reduced AST levels from baseline, but the reduction was negligible compared to control groups (Figure. Interference between Nrf2 and AMPK signal pathways is important for the anti-inflammatory effect of berberine in LPS-stimulated macrophages and endotoxin-shocked mice. Previous results have indicated that BBR could effectively improve liver function and alleviate liver injury. Therefore, it cannot determine the therapeutic effect of berberine on NAFLD, which could be better demonstrated if more long-term studies were included.

The main search terms were combinations of “berberine” and “nonalcoholic fatty liver disease” or “nonalcoholic fatty liver disease” or “nonalcoholic fatty liver disease” or “NAFLD” or “nonalcoholic steatohepatitis” or “nonalcoholic steatohepatitis” or “nonalcoholic steatohepatitis” or “nonalcoholic steatohepatitis” or “NASH” or “metabolic associated”. Fatty liver disease or “MAFLD” in several databases. Berberine Reduction of Insulin Resistance by Up-Regulation of IRS-2 mRNA Expression in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.