Author(s):
Teodoro, João Soeiro 
; Duarte, Filipe Valente ; Gomes, Ana Patrícia ; Varela, Ana Teresa ; Peixoto, Francisco Manuel ; Rolo, Anabela Pinto ; Palmeira, C. M.
Date: 2013
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10316/25615
Origin: Estudo Geral - Universidade de Coimbra
Subject(s): Berberine; Mitochondrial function; Liver bioenergetics; Obesity; SirT3
Description
Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid with anti-diabetic properties. Despite the central role of liver and thus
hepaticmitochondria inwhole-bodymetabolism, berberine effects on hepaticmitochondrial function in an obesity
model are still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that berberine treatment recovers mitochondrial efficiency
when altered by a high-fat feeding.Mitochondria isolated from the liver of high-fat fed rats exhibited decreased
capacity to accumulate calcium and impaired oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity, as shown by
impaired mitochondrialmembrane potential, oxygen consumption and cellular ATP levels. Interestingly, the recovery
of mitochondrial function by berberine was associated with an increased activity of the mitochondrial
sirtuin 3 (SirT3). In conclusion, berberine potent protective effects against metabolic syndrome may rely on
increasing mitochondrial SirT3 activity, normalizing mitochondrial function and preventing a state of energetic
deficit caused by impaired OXPHOS. JST, FVD, APG and ATV were recipients of a Fundação para a Ciência e
a Tecnologia PhD scholarship (SFRH/BD/38467/2007, SFRH/BD/38372/
2007, SFRH/BD/44674/2008 and SFRH/BD/44796/2008, respectively).
This project was supported by a FCT grant PTCD/SAU-OSM/72443/
2006.
