Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ginseng berry extract on insulin sensitivity and associated molecular mechanisms in aged mice. C57BL/6 mice (15 months old) were maintained on a regular diet (CON) or a regular diet supplemented with 0.05% ginseng berry extract (GBD) for 24 or 32 weeks. GBD-fed mice showed significantly lower serum insulin levels (p = 0.016) and insulin resistance scores (HOMA-IR) (p = 0.012), suggesting that GBD improved insulin sensitivity. Pancreatic islet hypertrophy was also ameliorated in GBD-fed mice (p = 0.007). Protein levels of tyrosine phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 (p = 0.047), and protein kinase B (AKT) (p = 0.037), were up-regulated in the muscle of insulin-injected GBD-fed mice compared with CON-fed mice. The expressions of forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) (p = 0.036) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) (p = 0.032), which are known as aging- and insulin resistance-related genes, were also increased in the muscle of GBD-fed mice. We conclude that ginseng berry extract consumption might increase activation of IRS-1 and AKT, contributing to the improvement of insulin sensitivity in aged mice.
Highlights
Aging is an inescapable procedure caused by the interaction of biological and psychosocial factors [1]
To examine the effects of ginseng berry (GB) extract on metabolic parameters in aged mice, 15-month-old C57BL/6 mice were fed with a diet supplemented with 0.05% GB extract (GBD) or a regular diet (CON) for 24 weeks and body weight, fat mass, and blood glucose levels were examined
While plasma cholesterol levels were increased in 21-month-old mice compared to 15-month-old mice, GBD feeding did not change these levels compared with CON-fed mice (Figure 2B–D)
Summary
Aging is an inescapable procedure caused by the interaction of biological and psychosocial factors [1]. It is well known that aging is associated with a decline in insulin action. Insulin resistance results from impairment of the insulin signaling pathway, but the molecular mechanisms are unclear. Insulin resistance is related to several well-known age-related changes, such as increased adiposity, decreased muscle mass, mitochondrial dysfunction, hormonal changes, increased oxidative stress and inflammation, changes in dietary habits and reduced physical activity [2]. Insulin resistance is one of the characteristics of metabolic syndrome and the pre-diabetic state [3]. The pancreatic beta cell mass changes according to insulin demand, and the condition of insulin resistance requires higher levels of insulin. Pancreatic islets adapt to insulin resistance through a complex set of changes, including beta cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy [4]
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