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Berberine is an insulin secretagogue targeting the KCNH6 potassium channel
- Source :
- Nature Communications, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp 1-14 (2021), Nature Communications
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Nature Portfolio, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Coptis chinensis is an ancient Chinese herb treating diabetes in China for thousands of years. However, its underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we report the effects of its main active component, berberine (BBR), on stimulating insulin secretion. In mice with hyperglycemia induced by a high-fat diet, BBR significantly increases insulin secretion and reduced blood glucose levels. However, in mice with hyperglycemia induced by global or pancreatic islet β-cell-specific Kcnh6 knockout, BBR does not exert beneficial effects. BBR directly binds KCNH6 potassium channels, significantly accelerates channel closure, and subsequently reduces KCNH6 currents. Consequently, blocking KCNH6 currents prolongs high glucose-dependent cell membrane depolarization and increases insulin secretion. Finally, to assess the effect of BBR on insulin secretion in humans, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period crossover, single-dose, phase 1 clinical trial (NCT03972215) including 15 healthy men receiving a 160-min hyperglycemic clamp experiment is performed. The pre-specified primary outcomes are assessment of the differences of serum insulin and C-peptide levels between BBR and placebo treatment groups during the hyperglycemic clamp study. BBR significantly promotes insulin secretion under hyperglycemic state comparing with placebo treatment, while does not affect basal insulin secretion in humans. All subjects tolerate BBR well, and we observe no side effects in the 14-day follow up period. In this study, we identify BBR as a glucose-dependent insulin secretagogue for treating diabetes without causing hypoglycemia that targets KCNH6 channels.<br />Berberine is a compound with glucose-lowering effects in mice and humans. Here, the authors show that in mice berberine has beneficial glycemic effects by promoting insulin secretion, which requires the potassium channel KCNH6 in beta cells, and that berberine can promote insulin secretion in healthy men in a phase 1 clinical trial.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
Adolescent
Berberine
medicine.medical_treatment
Science
General Physics and Astronomy
Drug development
Pharmacology
Hypoglycemia
Diet, High-Fat
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Article
Young Adult
chemistry.chemical_compound
Cell Line, Tumor
Insulin-Secreting Cells
Diabetes mellitus
Insulin Secretion
medicine
Animals
Humans
Secretion
Author Correction
Ion transport
Mice, Knockout
geography
Cross-Over Studies
Multidisciplinary
geography.geographical_feature_category
business.industry
Secretagogues
Insulin
Diabetes
General Chemistry
Middle Aged
Islet
medicine.disease
Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels
Potassium channel
Mice, Inbred C57BL
HEK293 Cells
chemistry
Hyperglycemia
Secretagogue
business
Ion Channel Gating
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20411723
- Volume :
- 12
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nature Communications
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....f7232d3578a88b82b80ea338a68675ad