Combined analytical approaches to define biodistribution and biological activity of semi-synthetic berberrubine, the active metabolite of natural berberine

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2018 Jun;410(15):3533-3545. doi: 10.1007/s00216-018-0884-2. Epub 2018 Feb 7.

Abstract

Berberine (BBR) is a natural alkaloid obtained from Berberis species plants, known for its protective effects against several diseases. Among the primary BBR metabolites, berberrubine (M1) showed the highest plasma concentration but few and conflicting data are available regarding its concentration in biological fluids related to its new potential activity on vascular cells. A combined analytical approach was applied to study biodistribution of M1 in comparison with BBR. The optimization of sample clean-up combined with a fully validated HPLC-ESI-MS/MS tailored for M1 allows sufficient detectability and accuracy to be reached in the different studied organs even when administered at low dose, comparable to that assumed by human. A predictive human vascular endothelial cell-based assay to measure intracellular xanthine oxidase has been developed and applied to study unexplored activities of M1 alongside other common activities. Results showed that oral M1 treatment exhibits higher plasma levels than BBR, reaching maximum concentration 400-fold higher than BBR (204 vs 0.5 ng/mL); moreover, M1 exhibits higher concentrations than BBR also in all the biological compartments analyzed. Noteworthy, the two compounds follow two different excretion routes: M1 through urine, while BBR through feces. In vitro studies demonstrated that M1 inhibited intracellular xanthine oxidase activity, one of the major sources of reactive oxygen species in vasculature, with an IC50 = 9.90 ± 0.01 μg/mL and reduced the expression of the inflammatory marker ICAM-1. These peculiar characteristics allow new perspectives to be opened up for the direct use of M1 instead of BBR in endothelial dysfunction treatment.

Keywords: Berberrubine; Biodistribution; Chemiluminescent cell-based assay; Endothelial dysfunction; Mass spectrometry; Xanthine oxidase.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Infective Agents / analysis
  • Anti-Infective Agents / metabolism
  • Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacokinetics*
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / analysis
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / metabolism
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacokinetics*
  • Berberine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Berberine / analysis
  • Berberine / metabolism
  • Berberine / pharmacokinetics*
  • Berberis / chemistry
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / analysis
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacokinetics*
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Xanthine Oxidase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Xanthine Oxidase / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Berberine
  • berberrubine
  • Xanthine Oxidase