Abstract
Gintonin is a newly discovered ingredient of ginseng and plays an exogenous ligand for G protein-coupled lysophosphatidic acid receptors. We previously showed that gintonin exhibits diverse effects from neurotransmitter release to improvement of Alzheimer’s disease-related cognitive dysfunctions. However, previous studies did not show whether gintonin has protective effects against environmental heavy metal. We investigated the effects of gintonin-enriched fraction (GEF) on methylmercury (MeHg)-induced neurotoxicity and learning and memory dysfunction and on organ MeHg elimination. Using hippocampal neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) and mice we examined the effects of GEF on MeHg-induced hippocampal NPC neurotoxicity, on formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and on in vivo learning and memory functions after acute MeHg exposure. Treatment of GEF to hNPCs attenuated MeHg-induced neurotoxicity with concentration- and time-dependent manner. GEF treatment inhibited MeHg- and ROS inducer-induced ROS formations. Long-term treatment of GEF also improved MeHg-induced learning and memory dysfunctions. Oral administration of GEF decreased the concentrations of MeHg in blood, brain, liver, and kidney. This is the first report that GEF attenuated MeHg-induced in vitro and in vivo neurotoxicities through LPA (lysophosphatidic acids) receptor-independent manner and increased organ MeHg elimination. GEF-mediated neuroprotection might achieve via inhibition of ROS formation and facilitation of MeHg elimination from body.
Highlights
Mercury (Hg) is one of heavy metal elements but is the most poisonous environmental pollutants and is highly toxic to multiple organs including brain
We investigated whether gintonin-enriched fraction (GEF) could attenuate MeHg-induced neurotoxicity, reduce accumulations of MeHg in main organs, and improve MeHg-induced learning and memory dysfunctions
Since MeHg is known as causing memory-deficit [25,26] and GEF attenuated MeHg-induced cytotoxicity and increased MeHg elimination from body organs including brain, we examined the effects of GEF on MeHg-induced memory deficits
Summary
Mercury (Hg) is one of heavy metal elements but is the most poisonous environmental pollutants and is highly toxic to multiple organs including brain. The primary mercury in atmosphere derives from natural sources such as volcanic eruptions and decay of mercury-containing sediments. The second largest source of mercury is from fossil fuel combustion for diverse purposes [1]. Mercury exists as three forms: i.e., elementary mercury or mercury vapor, inorganic mercury and organic. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 838; doi:10.3390/ijerph17030838 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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