Electropharmacological effects of berberine on canine cardiac Purkinje fibres and ventricular muscle and atrial muscle of the rabbit
Open accessAbstract
1. Conventional microelectrode techniques were used for intracellular recordings of the transmembrane electrical potentials, the effects of berberine were studied on canine cardiac Purkinje and ventricular muscle fibres and on rabbit atrial fibres. 2. Berberine (3-30 microM) increased in a concentration-dependent manner, the action potential duration (APD) in canine Purkinje and ventricular muscle without affecting other parameters of the action potential. 3. The berberine-induced enlargement of the APD showed reverse use-dependence, so that the effect was greater at lower rates of stimulation. 4. Preparations perfused with berberine (30 microM) and driven at rates below 0.5 Hz exhibited early after depolarizations which persisted 3-4 h after washing. 5. The early afterdepolarizations were reversibly abolished by perfusion with lignocaine (3 microM) or by the increase in the rate of stimulation. 6. The effective refractory period (ERP) of Purkinje fibres was greatly increased by berberine (30 microM); however, the ratio ERP/APD was not significantly affected. 7. Berberine (10-100 microM) decreased in a concentration-dependent manner the spontaneous frequency of rabbit sinoatrial cells. The decrease in frequency was accompanied by a depression of the phase 4 depolarization, without significant changes in other parameters of the nodal action potential. 8. Atropine (2.5 microM) did not affect the bradycardic effect of berberine. On the other hand, berberine (30 microM) did not alter the chronotropic effect of isoprenaline. 9. Berberine (30 microM) also increased the duration of slow responses in K-depolarized rabbit atrial muscle fibres, other parameters being unaffected. 10. It is suggested that berberine exerts Class III antiarrhythmic and proarrhythmic actions in cardiac muscle of the dog in vitro.
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Berberine exerts pharmacodynamic effects that can add to those of numerous therapeutic classes.
“it also exerts pharmacodynamic effects that can add to those of numerous therapeutic classes [38,39,40].”
From Berberine-Drug Interactions: Mechanisms, Clinical Relevance and Risk Stratification-A Narrative Review (2026) · cites this paper as [40]
The Discussion reports cardiac electropharmacological effects of berberine and compares some of them with effects of quinidine and sotalol. It does not show that berberine's effects add to those of numerous therapeutic classes; the rabbit sinoatrial-node Results instead report that concomitant berberine did not alter isoprenaline's effect. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredBerberine's vasodilatory and bradycardic effects can potentiate the hypotension and bradycardia induced by antihypertensives and beta-blockers.
“Vasodilatory and bradycardic effects can potentiate the hypotension and bradycardia induced by antihypertensives and beta-blockers [40,87]”
From Berberine-Drug Interactions: Mechanisms, Clinical Relevance and Risk Stratification-A Narrative Review (2026) · cites this paper as [40]
The Abstract and Discussion report that berberine slowed the spontaneous rate of isolated rabbit atrial cells, supporting a bradycardic effect. The Introduction reports α-adrenoceptor antagonism, but the paper does not establish vasodilation or show that berberine potentiates hypotension or bradycardia caused by antihypertensives or beta-blockers. No page number is available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredBerberine exerts pharmacodynamic effects that can dangerously add to concomitant medication.
“Beyond pharmacokinetics, berberine exerts pharmacodynamic effects that can dangerously add to concomitant medication [40].”
From Berberine-Drug Interactions: Mechanisms, Clinical Relevance and Risk Stratification-A Narrative Review (2026) · cites this paper as [40]
The Discussion reports that berberine prolonged cardiac repolarization, induced early afterdepolarizations in isolated tissue, and may have a proarrhythmic effect. It does not establish that these effects dangerously add to those of concomitant medication; the rabbit sinoatrial-node results instead report that berberine did not alter isoprenaline’s chronotropic effect. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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- Authors
- Neto, F. R.
- Affiliations
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- Corresponding author
- Neto, Francisco Riccioppo
- Venue
- British Journal of Pharmacology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1993-02
- Volume
- 108
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 534-537
- ISSN
- 0007-1188 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-5381
- PMC
- PMC1908004
- OpenAlex
- W2014708735
- Cited by
- 45
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- British Journal of Pharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Berberine and alkaloids research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Traditional Chinese Medicine Analysis
- Keywords
- berberine, antiarrhythmic drugs, drug-induced arrhythmia, action potential duration, early afterdepolarizations, effective refractory period, sinoatrial node, phase 4 depolarization, Purkinje fibers, ventricular myocardium, atrial muscle, lidocaine, isoproterenol, bradycardia, class III antiarrhythmic agents
- MeSH terms
- Action Potentials, Animals, Berberine, Dogs, Heart Atria, Heart Ventricles, Membrane Potentials, Microelectrodes, Purkinje Fibers, Rabbits, Sinoatrial Node
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