FIGURE 8.
Schematic illustration of berberine in the control of Th17 and Th1 differentiation in type 1 diabetes. In this model, berberine inhibits Th17 and Th1 differentiation to suppress the development of type 1 diabetes. On the one hand, berberine activates ERK to suppress Th17 differentiation. On the other hand, berberine inhibits p38 MAPK and JNK to down-regulate STAT1 and STAT4 activity to suppress Th1 polarization. Berberine also regulates the Th1 program by degrading STAT4 through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.