Berberine alters the gut microbiota metabolism and impairs spermatogenesis contributes to ozone-induced acute lung inflammatory injury

Wei Qu, Yumin Xu, Jing Yang, Hanqing Shi, Junli Wang, Xinnai Yu, Jiemin Chen, Binyi Wang, Deqing Zhuoga, Mengcheng Luo, and Rong Liu

Berberine (BBR) is used to treat diarrhea clinically. However, its reproductive toxicity is unclear. This article mainly describes that intragastric administration of BBR impairs spermatogenesis and changes intestinal microbiota composition in mice. The decrease in intestinal Muribaculaceae abundance is responsible for the effect of BBR on spermatogenesis defects in mice. Muribaculaceae affects steroid metabolism in mice through ornithine metabolism by regulating Ldlr transcription. As depicted on the cover, testosterone production is analogous to the cake production process. BBR acts as a robotic arm to hold ornithine (white cake embryo) produced by gut microbiota hostage, and the LDLR (yellow cake embryo)-mediated cholesterol (cream) synthesis pathway is blocked, resulting in a decrease in the final product testosterone and impaired spermatogenesis. This study reveals an association between a BBR-induced decrease in Muribaculaceae abundance and defective spermatogenesis, providing a prospective therapeutic approach for addressing infertility-related decreases in serum testosterone triggered by changes in the gut microbiota composition.

This cover is designed by Yinxi Zhou and Jianfeng Jin from Hainan Medical University.