Berberine-induced Inactivation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 5 Signaling Promotes Male-specific Expression of a Bile-acid Uptake Transporter [Signal Transduction]

Sodium-taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (Ntcp/NTCP) is the major uptake transporter of bile salts in mouse and human livers. In certain diseases, including endotoxemia, cholestasis, diabetes, and hepatocarcinoma, Ntcp/NTCP expression is markedly reduced, which interferes with enterohepatic circulation of bile salts, impairing the absorption of lipophilic compounds. Therefore, normal Ntcp/NTCP expression in the liver is physiologically important. Berberine is an herbal medicine used historically to improve liver function and has recently been shown to repress signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) signaling. However, berberine effects on Ntcp/NTCP expression are unknown, prompting use to investigate this possible connection. Our results showed that berberine dose-dependently increased Ntcp expression in male mouse liver and decreased taurocholic acid levels in serum but increased them in the liver. In mouse and human hepatoma cells, berberine induced Ntcp/NTCP mRNA and protein expression, and increased cellular uptake of [3H] taurocholate. Mechanistically, berberine decreased nuclear protein levels of phospho-JAK2 and phospho-Stat5, thus disrupting the JAK2-Stat5 signaling. Moreover, berberine stimulated luciferase reporter expression from the mouse Ntcp promoter when one putative Stat5 response element (RE) (-1137 bp) was deleted and from the human NTCP promoter when three putative Stat5REs (-2898 bp, - 2164 bp, and -691 bp) were deleted. Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated that berberine decreased binding of phospho-Stat5 protein to the -2164 bp and -691 bp Stat5REs in the human NTCP promoter. In summary, berberine-disrupted Stat5 signaling promoted mouse and human Ntcp/NTCP expression, resulting in enhanced bile-acid uptake. Therefore, berberine may be a therapeutic candidate compound for maintaining bile-acid homeostasis.

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