Berberine inhibits intracellular Ca signals in mouse pancreatic acinar cells through M muscarinic receptors: Novel target, mechanism, and implication.

Berberine, a natural isoquinoline alkaloid, exhibits a variety of pharmacological effects, but the pharmacological targets and mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we report a novel finding that berberine inhibits acetylcholine (ACh)-induced intracellular Ca oscillations, mediated through an inhibition of the muscarinic subtype 3 (M) receptor. Patch-clamp recordings and confocal Ca imaging were applied to acute dissociated pancreatic acinar cells prepared from CD1 mice to examine the effects of berberine on ACh-induced Ca oscillations.