Berberine inhibits the proliferation of human uterine fibroid cells
Treatment of fibroid cells with berberine inhibited cell proliferation by approximately 60%.
COX-2 is a critical enzyme that converts arachidonic acid into prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and is commonly overexpressed in many solid tumors, including colorectal, breast, prostate, and ovarian neoplasms.
Increased expression of COX-2 and the associated PGE2 production have been demonstrated to significantly enhance carcinogenesis. Ke et al. reported that COX-2 expression was significantly up-regulated in uterine fibroids and that the inhibition of COX-2 activity significantly reduced the proliferation of the uterine fibroids smooth muscle cells, which suggests that COX-2 is involved in the pathogenesis of uterine fibroids.
In turn, berberine has been reported to induce cancer cell apoptosis and suppress cancer cell migration in many neoplastic cell lines, including melanoma, non–small cell lung cancer (40), and oral cancer, an effect mediated through the reduced expression of COX-2.
Consistent with these observations, our data indicate that BBR significantly reduced COX-2 expression in uterine cells, which suggests that COX-2 may also play a role in mediating BBR-induced apoptosis in human uterine cells.
Berberine inhibits the proliferation of human uterine fibroid cells
