Figure 1.
The clinical course of EAE was attenuated by berberine treatment.
Daily clinical score (A), maximal score (B) and cumulative score (C) of the PBS- and berberine-treated EAE mice. EAE was induced in female C57 BL/6 mice with MOG 35-55 and treatment with berberine was performed as described under materials and methods. Each group had seven animals. Drug treatments were started from the day of disease onset. Values represent the mean±S.E.M., **P<0.01 vs. PBS-treated EAE mice.
Figure 2.
Berberine treatment decreased inflammation and demyelination in the lumbar spinal cord of EAE mice.
Mice were subjected to histopathological assay at day 20 p.i.. Each group had six animals. Consecutive sections were analyzed for hematoxylin and eosin staining and solochrome cyanin staining to detect inflammatory infiltration and demyelination respectively. Values represent the mean±S.E.M., **P<0.01 vs. PBS-treated EAE mice.
Figure 3.
The representative sections depicting the inflammation and demyelination in the lumbar spinal cord of EAE mice by PBS and berberine treatment.
Inflammatory infiltration was widespread in the PBS-treated EAE mice (A), but which was attenuated by berberine treatment (B). A large plaque of demyelination was seen in the PBS-treated EAE mice (C), and demyelination was attenuated in berberine-treated EAE mice (D). a-d were higher magnification views of the boxed areas in A, B, C and D, respectively. A-D: ×40; a-d: ×400.
Figure 4.
The effect of berberine on brain BBB permeability in EAE mice.
The integrity of BBB was detected by quantitative measurement for EB content at day 20 p.i. in six animals per group. EB is expressed as micrograms per gram of brain tissue against a standard curve. Values represent the mean±S.E.M., ** P<0.01 vs. control mice, ##P<0.01 vs. PBS-treated EAE mice.
Figure 5.
Effects of berberine on the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the brain of different treated mice.
The brains from different treated mice were harvested for Western blot at day 20 p.i.. Each group had seven animals. Values represent the mean± S.E.M., **P<0.01 vs control mice, ##P<0.01, vs PBS-treated EAE mice.
Figure 6.
The gelatinolytic activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the CSF of different treated mice.
CSF was obtained by puncture of the cisternamagna to detect gelatinase activity at day 20 p.i.. Each group had seven animals. Values represent the mean± S.E.M., **P<0.01, *P<0.05 vs control mice, ##P<0.01 vs PBS-treated EAE mice.