Abstract:

Ｏｂｊｅｃｔｉｖｅ：To investigate the effects of berberine(BBR) on the expression of CHOP mRNA, GRP78 mRNA and inflammatory cytokines in patients with  metabolic syndrome complicated with renal damage, and to explore the molecular mechanism of BBR in the metabolic syndrome with renal damage.
Ｍｅｔｈｏｄｏｌｏｇｙ：Twenty patients with metabolic syndrome complicated with renal damage were enrolled into this study. They were randomly divided into treatment group of 10 cases were given berberine 300 mg, 3 times/day, and other 10 cases in control group were treated by routine medicine. The therapeutic course for both groups was 8 weeks. The indexes of efficacy including microalbumin/creatinine ratio (UmAlb/C), serum creatinine (SCr) and urea nitrogen (BUN) were observed. RTPCR was used to detect the expression of CHOP mRNA and GRP78 mRNA in urine, and the content of interleukin (IL)8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha in serum were detected by ELISA.
Ｒｅｓｕｌｔｓ：After treatment for 8 weeks, the UmAlb/C in the control group and the treatment group was lower than that before treatment (P<005). Compared with the control group, the UmAlb/C in the treatment group was decreased more significantly  (P<005). There was no significant difference between the two groups before and after treatment of SCr and BUN (P>005). After 8 weeks of treatment, Urine CHOP mRNA, GRP78 mRNA expression and the contentof serum IL8 and TNFα in the treatment group were significantly lower than that before treatment, the difference was statistically significant (P<005), the control group before and after treatment there was no statistically significant difference (P>005). Compared with control group, urine CHOP mRNA, GRP78 mRNA expression and the content of serum IL8 and TNFα in treatment group was decreased obviously (P<005).
Ｃｏｎｃｌｕｓｉｏｎ：
Berberine can reduce albuminuria in patients with metabolic syndrome and renal damage, its molecular mechanism may be related to reduce the excessive activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress response and improve the state of inflammation.

Key words: Metabolic Syndrome, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Renal Damage, Berberine, Inflammatory , Cytokines