In Vivo Interrelationship between Insulin Resistance and Interferon Gamma Production: Protective and Therapeutic Effect of Berberine

Abstract EN

This research was conducted to investigate if there is a relation between insulin resistance incidence and inhibition of interferon gamma production or not.

Firstly, insulin resistance was induced by high fat diet (HFD) intake for 6 weeks.

Secondly, berberine was used as protective/curative compound for insulin resistance.

Results revealed that feeding rats HFD for 6 weeks developed features of insulin resistance (IR) syndrome.

These features presented in increased body weight, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hypercholesterolemia (with increased LDL-cholesterol and decreased HDL-cholesterol), and hypertriglyceridemia.

Level of antioxidant enzymes in HFD group was higher than in normal one.

Also there was an increasing in level of proinflammatory cytokines as interleukin- (IL-) 6 and IL-12 in HFD group.

Feeding rats HFD for 6 weeks also decreased level of interferon gamma (IFN-γ).

The decreased level of IFN-γ has been shown to predict infection with infectious diseases especially viral infection.

Treatment and protection with berberine 50 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks were found to be effective against the features of insulin resistance syndrome, improved levels of insulin resistance parameters, lipid profile, antioxidant enzymes, proinflammatory cytokines, and IFN-γ.