Berberine ameliorates cellular senescence and extends the lifespan of mice via regulating p16 and cyclin protein expression

Abstract

Although aging and senescence have been extensively studied in the past few decades, however, there is lack of clinical treatment available for anti-aging. This study presents the effects of berberine (BBR) on the aging process resulting in a promising extension of lifespan in model organisms. BBR extended the replicative lifespan, improved the morphology, and boosted rejuvenation markers of replicative senescence in human fetal lung diploid fibroblasts (2BS and WI38). BBR also rescued senescent cells with late population doubling (PD). Furthermore, the senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal)-positive cell rates of late PD cells grown in the BBR-containing medium were ~72% lower than those of control cells, and its morphology resembled that of young cells. Mechanistically, BBR improved cell growth and proliferation by promoting entry of cell cycles from the G0 or G1 phase to S/G2-M phase. Most importantly, BBR extended the lifespan of chemotherapy-treated mice and naturally aged mice by ~52% and ~16.49%, respectively. The residual lifespan of the naturally aged mice was extended by 80%, from 85.5 days to 154 days. The oral administration of BBR in mice resulted in significantly improved health span, fur density, and behavioral activity. Therefore, BBR may be an ideal candidate for the development of an anti-aging medicine.