Abstract
Objective. Panax ginseng is widely used for treatment of cardiovascular disorders in China. Ginsenoside Re is the main chemical component of Panax ginseng. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of Ginsenoside Re on isoproterenol-induced myocardial injury in rats. Methods. Male Wistar rats were orally given Ginsenoside Re (5, 20 mg/kg) daily for 7 days. Isoproterenol was subcutaneously injected into the rats for two consecutive days at a dosage of 20 mg/kg/day (on 6th and 7th day). Six hours after the last isoproterenol injection, troponin T level and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) activity were assayed. Histopathological examination of heart tissues was performed. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) in heart tissues were measured. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) content in nucleus and the proteins of glutathione cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) and glutathione cysteine ligase modulatory subunit (GCLM) in heart tissues were assayed by western blotting method. Results. Treatment with Ginsenoside Re at dose of 5, 20 mg/kg reduced troponin T level and CK-MB activity of rats subjected to isoproterenol. The cardioprotective effect of Ginsenoside Re was further confirmed by histopathological examination which showed that Ginsenoside Re attenuated the necrosis and inflammatory cells infiltration. Ginsenoside Re inhibited the increase of MDA content and the decrease of GSH in heart tissues. Moreover, the Nrf2 content in nucleus and the expressions of GCLC and GCLM were significantly increased in the animals treated with Ginsenoside Re. Conclusion. These findings suggested that Ginsenoside Re possesses the property to attenuate isoproterenol-induced myocardial ischemic injury by regulating the antioxidation function in cardiomyocytes.
Highlights
Myocardial injury is the common presentation of the ischemic heart disease
Treatment with Ginsenoside Re at doses of 5 and 20 mg/kg significantly inhibited the augment of the creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) activity in isoproterenol-induced myocardial ischemic rats (P < 0.01)
The findings of this study showed that Ginsenoside Re reduced the troponin T level and CK-MB activity in myocardial ischemic rats, which suggested that Ginsenoside Re possessed cardioprotective effect
Summary
Myocardial injury is the common presentation of the ischemic heart disease. Ischemic heart disease affects a high proportion of the population in both developed and developing countries. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as free radicals, singlet oxygens, and peroxides are generated during aerobic metabolism as by-products and are tightly controlled by antioxidants. Excess production of ROS or depletion of antioxidants can lead to a state of oxidative stress that can inflict damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA. ROS generation during ischemia induces a peroxidation of the components of myocardium [2]. ROS production is usually increased, which can lead to further damage to the myocardium [3]. The first line of cellular defense against oxidative injury in the heart as well as most tissues is antioxidant enzymes [4]. As a carrier of an active thiol group in the form of a cysteine residue, it acts as an antioxidant either directly by interacting with reactive oxygen or by serving as a cofactor for various antioxidant enzymes [5]
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