BBR alters osteogenic and adipogenic gene expression levels in undifferentiated bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. (A) Cells were incubated with DMSO or BBR (1, 5, 10, 50 or 100 µM) for 3 days, and then cell viability was determined using a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. The cells were treated with BBR (1, 5 or 10 µM) alone or simultaneously with LPS (1 µg/ml), and then collected for reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis. The mRNA expression levels of the osteogenic genes (B) Runx2, (C) Spp1 and (D) Ocn, and the adipogenic genes (E) Fabp4, (F) Adipsin and (G) Pparγ were measured. Their relative changes were normalized to the GAPDH expression levels. The data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation of three independent experiments. #P<0.05, ##P<0.01, ###P<0.001, ####P<0.0001 vs. control group; **P<0.01, ***P<0.001, ****P<0.0001 vs. LPS group. BBR, berberine hydrochloride; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; Runx2, RUNX family transcription factor 2; Ocn, osteocalcin; Spp1, secreted phosphoprotein 1; Fabp4, fatty acid binding protein 4; Pparγ, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγ.