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[Berberine activates volume-sensitive chloride channel in human colorectal carcinoma cells.] [Article in Chinese]

LIU Shan-Wen, LI Yuan, LI Hua-Rong, MA Wen-Bo, PAN Ting-Cai, ZHU Lin-Yan, YE Wen-Cai, WANG Li-Wei^*, CHEN Li-Xin^*

Department of Physiology of Medical College； Department of Pharmacology of Medical College； College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China

Abstract

The present study aimed to clarify the effect of berberine on the chloride channels in human colorectal carcinoma cells (SW480). The whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to detect the Cl− current activated by berberine. The physiological and pharmacological characteristics of the current were clarified by changing the osmotic pressure of extracellular perfusate and applying chloride channel blockers. The results showed that, under isotonic conditions, the background current of SW480 cells was weak and stable. A large current was induced by perfusing the cells with the isotonic solution containing berberine (10 nmol/L), current density being (85.8 ± 4.6) pA/pF at +80 mV, (−71.9 ± 3.5) pA/pF at −80 mV, with a latency of (115.6 ± 21.7) s. The chloride current showed weak outward rectification and negligible time- and voltage-dependent inactivation. The reversal potential (−5.5 mV ± 1.2 mV) of the current was close to the calculated equilibrium potential for Cl− (ECl = –0.9 mV). Experiments under different osmotic pressures showed that the properties of hypotonicity-activated current recorded in SW480 cells were similar to those of the current induced by berberine, and hypertonic solutions suppressed the berberine-induced current by (98.6 ± 2.3)%. On the other hand, berberine-induced Cl− current was significantly inhibited by the chloride channel blockers NPPB (100 µmol/L) and tamoxifen (20 μmol/L), with the inhibition ratios of (83.1 ± 3.6)% and (95.6 ± 1.2)% respectively. These results suggest that berberine can activate the chloride channels that are sensitive to NPPB and tamoxifen, as well as the changes of cell volume in human colorectal carcinoma cells.

Key words: berberine; human colorectal carcinoma cells; chloride channels; patch-clamp techniques

Received: 2011-04-21　　Accepted: 2011-07-18

Corresponding author: 王立伟,陈丽新　　E-mail: chenlixinw@sohu.com,wangliweic@sohu.com

Citing This Article：

LIU Shan-Wen, LI Yuan, LI Hua-Rong, MA Wen-Bo, PAN Ting-Cai, ZHU Lin-Yan, YE Wen-Cai, WANG Li-Wei, CHEN Li-Xin. [Berberine activates volume-sensitive chloride channel in human colorectal carcinoma cells.] [Article in Chinese]. Acta Physiol Sin 2011; 63 (6): 517-524 (in Chinese with English abstract).