Effects of berberine hydrochloride on methamphetamine-induced anxiety behaviors and relapse in rats

Can Methamphetamine-Induced Cardiotoxicity be Ameliorated by Aerobic Training and Nutrition Bio-shield Superfood Supplementation in Rats After Withdrawal?

The abuse of methamphetamine is a significant threat to cardiovascular health and has detrimental effects on the myocardium. The present study aims to explore potential interventions that can mitigate myocardial pyroptosis in rats following methamphetamine withdrawal. A total of 104 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to eight groups. The rats underwent a methamphetamine administration protocol, receiving intraperitoneal injections of 10 mg/kg during the 1st week, followed by a weekly dose escalation of 1 mg/kg from the second to the 6th week and two times per day. Concurrently, the rats engaged in 6 weeks of moderate-intensity treadmill aerobic training, lasting 60 min per day, 5 days a week. Simultaneously, the Nutrition bio-shield Superfood (NBS) supplement was administered at a dosage of 25 g/kg daily for 6 weeks. The study assessed the expression levels of Caspase-1, Interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), and Interleukin-18 (IL-18) genes in myocardial tissue. Data analysis utilized a one-way analysis of variance (p ≤ 0.05). The findings revealed that methamphetamine usage significantly elevated the expression of Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 genes (p ≤ 0.05). Conversely, methamphetamine withdrawal led to a notable reduction in the expression of these genes (p ≤ 0.05). Noteworthy reductions in Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 expression were observed following aerobic training, supplementation, and the combined approach (p ≤ 0.05). The chronic use of methamphetamine was associated with cardiac tissue damage. This study highlights the potential of aerobic training and NBS Superfood supplementation in mitigating the harmful effects of methamphetamine-induced myocardial pyroptosis. The observed reductions in gene expression levels indicate promising interventions to address the cardiovascular consequences of methamphetamine abuse. The findings of this study suggest that a combination of aerobic exercise and NBS Superfood supplementation can provide a promising approach to mitigate the deleterious effects of methamphetamine on the heart. These findings can be useful for healthcare professionals and policymakers to design effective interventions to prevent and manage the adverse effects of methamphetamine abuse.

Protective effect of melatonin against methamphetamine-induced attention deficits through miR-181/SIRT1 axis in the prefrontal cortex

INTRODUCTION

Methamphetamine (METH) is an addictive psychostimulant with deleterious effects on the central nervous system. Chronic use of METH in high doses impairs cognition, attention and executive functions, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is a post-translational regulator that is downregulated following METH neurotoxicity. Melatonin is a neuroprotective hormone that enhances mitochondrial metabolism. Here, we evaluated the effect of melatonin on METH-induced attention deficits disorder and the involvement of the miR-181/SIRT1 axis in melatonin neuroprotection.

METHODS AND RESULTS

METH at a dose of 5 mg/kg was injected for 21 consecutive days. The animals were assigned to receive either melatonin or the vehicle after METH injections. Attention levels were evaluated with abject-based attention test. In the prefrontal cortex, the expression levels of miR-181a-5p, SIRT1, p53 and CCAR2, as well as the mtDNA copy numbers were evaluated using qRT-PCR and western blotting. The outcomes revealed that melatonin treatment following METH injections improved METH-induced attention deficits. METH toxicity can be associated with changes in the miR-181/SIRT1 axis, elevated levels of p53 and COXII, and decreased levels of mtDNA in the prefrontal cortex of adult rats. Interestingly, administration of melatonin can improve the expression of these molecules and reduces the toxic effects of METH.

CONCLUSION

Melatonin ameliorated the neurotoxicity of METH in the prefrontal cortex and the miR-181/SIRT1 axis is involve in the protective effects of melatonin. However, melatonin can be potentially administrated to improve attention impairment in METH use disorders.

Research progress of plant-derived natural alkaloids in central nervous system diseases

Central nervous system (CNS) disease is one of the most important causes of human death. Because of their complex pathogenesis, more and more attention has been paid to them. At present, drug treatment of the CNS is the main means; however, most drugs only relieve symptoms, and some have certain toxicity and side effects. Natural compounds derived from plants can provide safer and more effective alternatives. Alkaloids are common nitrogenous basic organic compounds found in nature, which exist widely in many kinds of plants and have unique application value in modern medicine. For example, Galantamine and Huperzine A from medicinal plants are widely used drugs on the market to treat Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the main purpose of this review is to provide the available information on natural alkaloids with the activity of treating central nervous system diseases in order to explore the trends and perspectives for the further study of central nervous system drugs. In this paper, 120 alkaloids with the potential effect of treating central nervous system diseases are summarized from the aspects of sources, structure types, mechanism of action and structure-activity relationship.

Berberine hydrochloride improves cognitive deficiency through hippocampal up-regulation of neurotrophins following inhalant self-administration of methamphetamine

Objectives

Chronic methamphetamine (METH) abuse is recognized as an important risk factor for cognitive impairment. A plant-based isoquinoline alkaloid, Berberine hydrochloride (BER), shows memory and cognition enhancement properties. Due to the aim of the present study which is to investigate the influence of BER administration on METH-induced cognitive deficits, we investigated neurotrophin signaling including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) as a possible mechanism by which BER exerts its cognitive improvement influences.

Materials and Methods

In this experimental study, thirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly classified into four groups, including non-treated control, intubated control, METH-inhaled, and METH-inhaled + BER-intubated. Rats in the METH-inhaled group underwent METH inhalation for 14 days, and the BER-inhaled and BER-intubated rats were intubated (100mg/kg) for the following three weeks. A novel object recognition task (NORt) was carried out on days 36 and 37. Rats were sacrificed for histological preparations after the behavioral tests. Neurotrophic factors, including GDNF and BDNF, were evaluated by immunofluorescence staining in the hippocampus.

Results

This experiment indicated a dramatic improvement in cognitive deficits associated with chronic METH abuse (P<0.001). Furthermore, a significant decrease in the expression of both neurotrophins, GDNF (P<0.001) and BDNF (P<0.001), was observed in the METH-inhaled group compared with the METH-inhaled group treated with BER and non-treated control group.

Conclusion

Activation of neurotrophic factors after BER administration resulted in improvement of METH-induced cognitive deficits. Therefore, BER may be considered a promising treatment for METH users who experience cognition deficits.

Current Evidence and Future Directions of Berberine Intervention in Depression

A major type of serious mood disorder, depression is currently a widespread and easily overlooked psychological illness. With the low side effects of natural products in the treatment of diseases becoming the pursuit of new antidepressants, natural Chinese medicine products have been paid more and more attention for their unique efficacy in improving depression. In a view from the current study, the positive antidepressant effects of berberine are encouraging. There is a lot of work that needs to be done to accurately elucidate the efficacy and mechanism of berberine in depression. In this review, the relevant literature reports on the treatment of depression and anxiety by berberine are updated, and the potential pharmacological mechanism of berberine in relieving depression has also been discussed.

Berberine: A Promising Treatment for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Berberine, as a natural alkaloid compound, is characterized by a diversity of pharmacological effects. In recent years, many researches focused on the role of berberine in central nervous system diseases. Among them, the effect of berberine on neurodegenerative diseases has received widespread attention, for example Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and so on. Recent evidence suggests that berberine inhibits the production of neuroinflammation, oxidative, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. These effects can further reduce neuron damage and apoptosis. Although the current research has made some progress, its specific mechanism still needs to be further explored. This review provides an overview of berberine in neurodegenerative diseases and its related mechanisms, and also provides new ideas for future research on berberine.

Goofballing of Opioid and Methamphetamine: The Science Behind the Deadly Cocktail

Globally, millions of people suffer from various substance use disorders (SUD), including mono-and polydrug use of opioids and methamphetamine. Brain regions such as the cingulate cortex, infralimbic cortex, dorsal striatum, nucleus accumbens, basolateral and central amygdala have been shown to play important roles in addiction-related behavioral changes. Clinical and pre-clinical studies have characterized these brain regions and their corresponding neurochemical changes in numerous phases of drug dependence such as acute drug use, intoxication, craving, withdrawal, and relapse. At present, many studies have reported the individual effects of opioids and methamphetamine. However, little is known about their combined effects. Co-use of these drugs produces effects greater than either drug alone, where one decreases the side effects of the other, and the combination produces a prolonged intoxication period or a more desirable intoxication effect. An increasing number of studies have associated polydrug abuse with poorer treatment outcomes, drug-related deaths, and more severe psychopathologies. To date, the pharmacological treatment efficacy for polydrug abuse is vague, and still at the experimental stage. This present review discusses the human and animal behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical changes underlying both morphine and methamphetamine dependence separately, as well as its combination. This narrative review also delineates the recent advances in the pharmacotherapy of mono- and poly drug-use of opioids and methamphetamine at clinical and preclinical stages.

Therapeutic Efficacies of Berberine against Neurological Disorders: An Update of Pharmacological Effects and Mechanisms

Neurological disorders are ranked as the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide, underscoring an urgent necessity to develop novel pharmacotherapies. Berberine (BBR) is a well-known phytochemical isolated from a number of medicinal herbs. BBR has attracted much interest for its broad range of pharmacological actions in treating and/or managing neurological disorders. The discoveries in basic and clinical studies of the effects of BBR on neurological disorders in the last decade have provided novel evidence to support the potential therapeutical efficacies of BBR in treating neurological diseases. In this review, we summarized the pharmacological properties and therapeutic applications of BBR against neurological disorders in the last decade. We also emphasized the major pathways modulated by BBR, which provides firm evidence for BBR as a promising drug candidate for neurological disorders.