|
KMID : 0352720090330040294
|
|
Journal of Ginseng Research
2009 Volume.33 No. 4 p.294 ~ p.304
|
|
|
Protective Effects of Ginsenoside Rg₃ against Cholesterol Oxide-Induced Neurotoxicity in the Rat
|
|
Kim Jong-Hoon
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
Ginsenosides are among the most well-known traditional herbal medicines frequently used for the treatment of various symptoms in South Korea. The neuroprotective effects of ginsenoside Rg₃ (G-Rg₃) on cholesterol-oxide-(CO)-induced neurotoxicity were investigated through the analyses of rat brains. The recently accumulated reports show that ginseng saponins (GTS), the major active ingredients of Panax ginseng, have protective effects against neurotoxin insults. In the present study, the neuroprotective effects of G-Rg₃ on CO-induced hippocampal excitotoxicity were examined in vivo. The in-vitro studies using rat cultured hippocampal neurons revealed that G-Rg₃ treatment significantly inhibited CO-induced hippocampal cell death. G-Rg₃ treatment not only significantly reduced CO-induced DNA damage but also attenuated CO-induced apoptosis. The in-vivo studies that were conducted revealed that the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) pre-administration of G-Rg₃ significantly reduced i.c.v. CO-induced hippocampal damage in rats. To examine the mechanisms underlying the in-vitro and in-vivo neuroprotective effects of G-Rg₃ against CO-induced hippocampal excitotoxicity, the effect of G-Rg₃ on the CO-induced elevations of the apoptotic cells in cultured hippocampal cells was examined, and it was found that G-Rg₃ treatment inhibited CO-induced apoptosis. The histopathological evaluation demonstrated that G-Rg₃ significantly diminished the apoptosis in the hippocampus and also spared the hippocampal CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus neurons. G-Rg₃ also significantly improved the CO-caused behavioral impairment. G-Rg₃ itself had no effect, however, on the CO-induced inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase activity (data not shown). These results collectively indicate the G-Rg₃-induced neuroprotection against CO in rat hippocampus. With regard to the wide use of G-Rg₃, this agent is potentially beneficial in treating CO-induced brain injury.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
ginsenoside-Rg₃, cholesterol-oxide, neurotoxicity, behavioral test, neuroprotection
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|
|