Berberine attenuates myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury by suppressing the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling.

Berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid originally isolated from the Chinese herb (Huanglian), exhibits anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. Since myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is associated with an excessive immune response, the current study was conducted to investigate the impact of BBR on myocardial I/R injury, a common disorder in clinical settings. Preconditioning of Sprague-Dawley rats with BBR (100 mg/kg/day, by gavage) for 14 days prior to the induction of I/R significantly attenuated myocardial I/R injury as manifested by a reduction in the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia and the amelioration of myocardial histological changes.