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Review
. 2020 Nov;24(21):12234-12245.
doi: 10.1111/jcmm.15803. Epub 2020 Sep 23.

Immunomodulatory effects of berberine on the inflamed joint reveal new therapeutic targets for rheumatoid arthritis management

Peng Shen #  1 , Yang Jiao #  2   3 , Li Miao  2 , Ji-Hua Chen  4 , Amir Abbas Momtazi-Borojeni  5
Affiliations
Review

Immunomodulatory effects of berberine on the inflamed joint reveal new therapeutic targets for rheumatoid arthritis management

Peng Shen et al. J Cell Mol Med. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory syndrome designated by synovial joint inflammation leading to cartilage degradation and bone damage as well as progressive disability. Synovial inflammation is promoted through the infiltration of mononuclear immune cells, dominated by CD4+ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs), together with fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), into the synovial compartment. Berberine is a bioactive isoquinoline alkaloid compound showing various pharmacological properties that are mainly attributed to immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Several lines of experimental study have recently investigated the therapeutic potential of berberine and its underlying mechanisms in treating RA condition. The present review aimed to clarify determinant cellular and molecular targets of berberine in RA and found that berberine through modulating several signalling pathways involved in the joint inflammation, including PI3K/Akt, Wnt1/β-catenin, AMPK/lipogenesis and LPA/LPA1 /ERK/p38 MAPK can inhibit inflammatory proliferation of FLS cells, suppress DC activation and modulate Th17/Treg balance and thus prevent cartilage and bone destruction. Importantly, these molecular targets may explore new therapeutic targets for RA treatment.

Keywords: berberine; immunomodulatory; rheumatoid arthritis; synovial joint inflammation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest and financial support for the present review article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic view of cellular pathways in the inflamed joint in rheumatoid arthritis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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