To evaluate the antisecretory activity of
berberine sulfate (BS), we studied 165 adult patients with acute
diarrhea due to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and Vibrio cholerae in randomized controlled trials. In patients with ETEC
diarrhea who received 400 mg of BS in a single oral dose, the mean stool volumes were significantly less than those of the controls during three consecutive 8-hr periods
after treatment (P less than .05). At 24 hr
after treatment, significantly more patients who were treated with BS and had ETEC
diarrhea stopped having
diarrhea as compared with the controls (42% vs 20%, P less than .05). In patients with
cholera who received 400 mg of BS, the mean 8-hr stool volume during the second 8-hr period
after treatment declined to 2.22 liters, which was significantly less than the 2.79 liters found in the controls (P less than .05). However, patients with
cholera who received 1200 mg of BS plus
tetracycline did not have significant reduction in stool output compared with patients who received
tetracycline alone. No side effects of BS were noted. These results indicated that BS is an effective and safe antisecretory
drug for ETEC
diarrhea, whereas the activity against
cholera is slight and not additive with
tetracycline.