Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32789786›Full record

ReviewReviews of physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology2020

Promising Anti-atherosclerotic Effect of Berberine: Evidence from In Vitro, In Vivo, and Clinical Studies.

Alireza Fatahian, Saeed Mohammadian Haftcheshmeh, Sara Azhdari, Helaleh Kaboli Farshchi, Banafsheh Nikfar, Amir Abbas Momtazi-Borojeni

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Reviews of physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed
20.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

22 citing papers in PubMed, 47 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Berberine AlleviatesInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Advance in identified targets of berberine.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025
    Review
  9. Review
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Effects of Berberine on Atherosclerosis.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2021
    Review
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Alireza FatahianDepartment of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Saeed Mohammadian HaftcheshmehDepartment of Medical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Sara AzhdariDepartment of Anatomy and Embryology, School of Medicine, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran.
Helaleh Kaboli FarshchiDepartment of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
Banafsheh NikfarPars Advanced and Minimally Invasive Medical Manners Research Center, Pars Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. banafsheh.nikfar@gmail.com.
Amir Abbas Momtazi-BorojeniHalal research center of IRI, FDA, Tehran, Iran. momtaziaa921@mums.ac.ir.
Bam University of Medical Sciences · IRFerdowsi University of Mashhad · IRIran University of Medical Sciences · IRMashhad University of Medical Sciences · IRMazandaran University of Medical Sciences · IRNiroo Research Institute · IR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Elevated levels of plasma cholesterol, impaired vascular wall, and presence of inflammatory macrophages are important atherogenic risk factors contributing to atherosclerotic plaque formation and progression. The interventions modulating these risk factors have been found to protect against atherosclerosis development and to decrease atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular disorders. Nutritional approaches involving supplements followed by improving dietary habits and lifestyle have become growingly attractive and acceptable methods used to control atherosclerosis risk factors, mainly high levels of plasma cholesterol. There are a large number of studies that show berberine, a plant bioactive compound, could ameliorate atherosclerosis-related risk factors. In the present literature review, we put together this studies and provide integrated evidence that exhibits berberine has the potential atheroprotective effect through reducing increased levels of plasma cholesterol, particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (LDL-C) via LDL receptor (LDLR)-dependent and LDL receptor-independent mechanisms, inhibiting migration and inflammatory activity of macrophages, improving the functionality of endothelial cells via anti-oxidant activities, and suppressing proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. In conclusion, berberine can exert inhibitory effects on the atherosclerotic plaque development mainly through LDL-lowering activity and suppressing atherogenic functions of mentioned cells. As the second achievement of this review, among the signaling pathways through which berberine regulates intracellular processes, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has a central and critical role, showing that enhancing activity of AMPK pathway can be considered as a promising therapeutic approach for atherosclerosis treatment.

Indexed as

AtherosclerosisBerberineCholesterol, LDLEndothelial CellsHumansReceptors, LDLBerberineCholesterol, LDLReceptors, LDLAMP-activated protein kinaseAtherosclerosisBerberineCholesterolEndothelial cellsLDL-CMacrophage dysfunctionVascular smooth muscle cell

Identifiers

PMID32789786
OpenAlexW3049549965

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.