肠上皮紧密连接是小肠黏膜屏障的重要组成部分,在维持肠黏膜的通透性和完整性方面起着重要的作用,可防止细菌内毒素及毒性大分子物质进入体内,从而使机体保持内环境稳定。多项研究证明小肠黏膜屏障功能异常与糖尿病存在密切联系。因此,保护肠上皮紧密连接、维护黏膜屏障在糖尿病的防治中有着重要意义。小檗碱在糖尿病治疗的应用中疗效显著,然而药理学研究发现其生物利用度极低,有学者认为小檗碱降血糖的作用靶点主要在肠道。研究显示,小檗碱确有调节肠道菌群、调控肠道激素分泌、保护肠道屏障、抑制葡萄糖吸收、减轻慢性低度炎性反应等作用,近来发现其亦可能通过影响肠上皮紧密连接、保护肠黏膜屏障而发挥降糖作用。现就肠上皮紧密连接屏障功能异常与糖尿病的相互联系及小檗碱通过保护肠上皮紧密连接相关降糖机制做一综述。 Intestinal epithelial tight junction is an important part of the intestinal mucosal barrier in the maintenance of permeability and integrity of the intestinal mucosa plays an important role in preventing bacterial endotoxin and toxic macromolecular substances into the body, so that the body to maintain the internal environment stable. A number of studies have shown that small intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction and diabetes are closely linked. Therefore, the protection of intestinal tight junctions, maintaining the mucosal barrier in the prevention and treatment of diabetes is of great significance. Berberine in the treatment of diabetes has a significant effect, however, pharmacological studies found that its bioavailability is very low, some scholars believe that the main target of berberine hypoglycemia in the intestine. Studies have shown that berberine does regulate intestinal flora, regulate intestinal hormone secretion, protect the intestinal barrier, inhibit glucose absorption, reduce chronic low inflammatory response and other effects, recently found that it may also affect intestinal tight junctions , To protect the intestinal mucosal barrier and hypoglycemic effect. Now on the intestinal epithelial tight junction dysfunction and diabetes and the interrelationship of berberine by protecting the intestinal epithelial tight junction related hypoglycemic mechanism is reviewed.