Alireza Ghorbani Birgani, Parvin Abedi, Kourosh Zare, Saeed Assadpoor,
Volume 15, Issue 8 (1-2013)
Abstract
Background: Psoriasis is a common chronic skin disease which usually appears as white and silvery spots on the skin. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of berberine on patients with psoriasis. Materials and Methods: This double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 60 psoriasis patients who referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz, between July and December 2011. The patients were randomly divided into two equal groups that applied berberine and placebo to the treatment of their lesions twice a day. Lesions severity rate in the patients was assessed 7 times using a Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). Data were analyzed by ANOVA with repeated measurements and Chi-square using SPSS software. Results: After 6 months, severity of lesions showed a significant decrease in the group receiving the berberine cream compared with the placebo group so that the mean PASI score of the group receiving berberine decreased from 3.99 to 2.11 while in the placebo group this decreased from 3.98 to 3.71. Mean difference in PASI score was not significant before receiving the treatment till the third month in berberine and placebo groups, but in the fourth to sixth months it was statistically significant (p=0.013). Conclusion: Berberine cream was more effective than the placebo in reduction of skin lesions of psoriasis patients. Therefore, it is recommended that plant-based drugs, like berberine, be used more besides the main medications of patients.
Miss Zahra Mortezaei, Dr Somayeh Rajabi, Dr Sayyed-Javad Ziaolhagh,
Volume 26, Issue 3 (9-2023)
Abstract
Introduction: Methamphetamine increases the release of dopamine from nerve terminals. Binding of dopamine to dopamine receptors increases the phosphorylation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate responsive element (CREB) protein and changes the transcription of downstream genes.The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of methamphetamine induction followed by aerobic training and Berberine on dopamine receptor 4 and CREB gene expression in the heart tissue of methamphetamine-addicted female rats during the withdrawal period.
Methods: 30 rats were randomly divided into 5 control groups, methamphetamine, methamphetamine + aerobic training, methamphetamine + Berberine, methamphetamine + aerobic training + Berberine. Intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg of methamphetamine was performed for 5 days, and during the withdrawal period, aerobic training was performed for 4 weeks and simultaneously the consumption of berberine 100 mg/kg as a solution in drinking water was considered. Real Time PCR method was used to measure gene expression. Independent T-test, Kruskal-Wallis test and SPSS24 software were used at the level of 0.05 to analyze the data. The code of ethics in the research was received with number IR.IAU.SHAHROOD.REC.1402.015.
Results: The results showed that methamphetamine use caused a non-significant increase (97%) in CREB expression and a non-significant decrease (52%) in dopamine 4 receptor compared to the control group (P>0.05). The implementation of interventions during the withdrawal period, such as Berberine consumption and the combination of berberine with aerobic training, produced non-significant increasing and decreasing effects on dopamine 4 receptor gene expression and CREB in the heart of methamphetamine-addicted rats, respectively (P > 0.05).
Conclusions: Short-term induction of methamphetamine did not cause significant changes in the expression of dopamine 4 receptor and CREB genes in the heart. Therefore, these genes could not undergo a significant change as a result of interventions such as Berberine and exercise. More studies are needed to investigate exact genetic changes in heart tissue.
