Abstract
BackgroundKorean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) has been used as a botanical medicine throughout the history of Asian traditional Oriental medicine. Formulated red ginseng (one form of Korean ginseng) has been shown to have antioxidant and chemopreventive effects.MethodsThis study investigated the cytoprotective effects and mechanism of action of Korean red ginseng extract (RGE) against severe ROS production and mitochondrial impairment in a cytotoxic cell model induced by AA + iron.ResultsRGE protected HepG2 cells from AA + iron-induced cytotoxicity by preventing the induction of mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis. Moreover, AA + iron-induced production of ROS and reduction of cellular GSH content (an important cellular defense mechanism) were remarkably attenuated by treatment with RGE. At the molecular level, treatment with RGE activated LKB1-dependent AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which in turn led to increased cell survival. The AMPK pathway was confirmed to play an essential role as the effects of RGE on mitochondrial membrane potential were reversed upon treatment with compound C, an AMPK inhibitor.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that RGE has the ability to protect cells from AA + iron-induced ROS production and mitochondrial impairment through AMPK activation.
Highlights
IntroductionAMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK, an important molecule sensing cellular energy status) is Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is one of the oldest and most frequently used botanicals in the history of traditional Oriental medicine
To further investigate the cytoprotective effects of red ginseng extract (RGE) on arachidonic acid (AA) + iron-induced liver cell injury, transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed at a dose of 1 mg/ml
Decreases in the levels of PARP and procaspase-3 induced by AA + iron were inhibited by treatment with RGE (Figure 1C). These results indicate that RGE has cytoprotective effects against apoptosis in hepatocytes induced by AA + iron
Summary
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK, an important molecule sensing cellular energy status) is Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is one of the oldest and most frequently used botanicals in the history of traditional Oriental medicine. Studies have shown that ginseng attenuates free radical-induced oxidative damage [13,14], prevents carcinogenesis induced by toxicants [15], and possesses immunostimulating, antitumorigenic, and chemopreventive effects [16,17,18]. These numerous cytoprotective and chemoprotective properties attributed to ginseng might be explained in part by its ability to ameliorate oxidative or nitrosative stress [19]. The biological effects of red ginseng have been well studied, it is not yet clear whether or not its cytoprotective effects against mitochondrial impairment are induced by AA + iron
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