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NAT is provided as a public service by the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Illinois. The tool is intended to empower individuals to select a nutrient dense diet. It is not intended to replace the advice of a physician or health professional.

New endogenous anti-inflammatory and proresolving lipid mediators: implications for rheumatic diseases. Yacoubian S, Serhan CN. Nat Clin Pract Rheumatol. 2007 Oct;3(10):570-9; quiz 1 p following 589. Review. PMID: 17906612

Berberine is a novel cholesterol-lowering drug working through a unique mechanism distinct from statins. Kong W, Wei J, Abidi P, Lin M, Inaba S, Li C, Wang Y, Wang Z, Si S, Pan H, Wang S, Wu J, Wang Y, Li Z, Liu J, Jiang JD. Nat Med. 2004 Dec;10(12):1344-51. Epub 2004 Nov 7. PMID: 15531889 doi:10.1038/nm1135 We identify berberine (BBR), a compound isolated from a Chinese herb, as a new cholesterol-lowering drug. Oral administration of BBR in 32 hypercholesterolemic patients for 3 months reduced serum cholesterol by 29%, triglycerides by 35% and LDL-cholesterol by 25%. Treatment of hyperlipidemic hamsters with BBR reduced serum cholesterol by 40% and LDL-cholesterol by 42%, with a 3.5-fold increase in hepatic LDLR mRNA and a 2.6-fold increase in hepatic LDLR protein. Using human hepatoma cells, we show that BBR upregulates LDLR expression independent of sterol regulatory element binding proteins, but dependent on ERK activation. BBR elevates LDLR expression through a post-transcriptional mechanism that stabilizes the mRNA. Using a heterologous system with luciferase as a reporter, we further identify the 5' proximal section of the LDLR mRNA 3' untranslated region responsible for the regulatory effect of BBR. These findings show BBR as a new hypolipidemic drug with a mechanism of action different from that of statin drugs.

Resolving inflammation: dual anti-inflammatory and pro-resolution lipid mediators. Serhan CN, Chiang N, Van Dyke TE. Nat Rev Immunol. 2008 May;8(5):349-61. Review. PMID: 18437155 doi:10.1038/nri2294

Anti-inflammatory actions of lipoxin A4 and aspirin-triggered lipoxin are SOCS-2 dependent. Machado FS, Johndrow JE, Esper L, Dias A, Bafica A, Serhan CN, Aliberti J. Nat Med. 2006 Mar;12(3):330-4. Epub 2006 Jan 15. PMID: 16415877 doi:10.1038/nm1355\n