Protective Effects Of Notoginsenoside R1 Research Articles

Integrating network pharmacology and experimental models to identify notoginsenoside R1 ameliorates atherosclerosis by inhibiting macrophage NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease, accounting for the most common mortality cause worldwide. Notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) is a characteristic saponin of Radix notoginseng that exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects while modulating lipid metabolism. Evidence suggests that NGR1 exerts cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and anti-atherosclerosis effects. However, underlying NGR1 mechanisms alleviating atherosclerosis (AS) have not been examined. This study used a network pharmacology approach to construct the drug-target-disease correlation and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of NGR1 and AS. Moreover, functional annotation and pathway enrichment analyses deciphered the critical biological processes and signaling pathways potentially regulated by NGR1. The protective effect of NGR1 against AS and the underlying mechanism(s) was assessed in an atherogenic apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice in vivo and an oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced macrophage model in vitro. The network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses revealed that NGR1 protects against AS by targeting the NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β pathway. NGR1 reduced foam cell formation in ox-LDL-induced macrophages and decreased atherosclerotic lesion formation, serum lipid metabolism, and inflammatory cytokines in AS mice in vivo. Therefore, NGR1 downregulates the NLRP3 inflammasome complex gene expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, ASC, IL-1β, and IL-18, in vivo and in vitro.

Notoginsenoside R1 protects against hypobaric hypoxia-induced high-altitude pulmonary edema by inhibiting apoptosis via ERK1/2-P90rsk-BAD ignaling pathway

High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a potentially fatal disease. Notoginsenoside R1 is a novel phytoestrogen with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptosis properties. However, its effects and underlying mechanisms in the protection of hypobaric hypoxia-induced HAPE rats remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of Notoginsenoside R1 in hypobaric hypoxia-induced HAPE. We found that Notoginsenoside R1 alleviated the lung tissue injury, decreased lung wet/dry ratio, and reduced inflammation and oxidative stress. Additionally, Notoginsenoside R1 ameliorated the changes in arterial blood gas, decreased the total protein concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and inhibited the occurrence of apoptosis caused by HAPE. In the process of further exploration of the mechanism, it was found that Notoginsenoside R1 could promote the activation of ERK1/2-P90rsk-BAD signaling pathway, and the effect of Notoginsenoside R1 was attenuated after the use of ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126. Our study indicated that the protective effects of Notoginsenoside R1 against HAPE were mainly related to the inhibition of inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Notoginsenoside R1 may be a potential candidate for preventing HAPE.

Effects of R1-Rg1 on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice through mitochondrial autophagy mediated by FUNDC1

The purpose of this research is to clarify the protective effects of Notoginsenoside R1(R1)-Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) on myocardial microcirculatory ischemia–reperfusion injury（I/R injury） in mice, and to investigate whether its myocardial protective effect mechanism is related to FUNDC1-mediated mitochondrial autophagy. The experimental study found that R1-Rg1 could improve cardiac function, reduce structural damage, restore myocardial barrier function, systolic and diastolic function in mice with myocardial I/R, with significant cardioprotective effects, and its mechanism of action may be related to NR4A1-CK2α-FUNDC1-mediated mitochondrial autophagy. This article will discuss some of the important findings of this study and explore the implications of these results for clinical practice and the treatment of MIRI.

The Protective Effect of Notoginsenoside R1 on Isoflurane-Induced Neurological Impairment in the Rats via Regulating miR-29a Expression and Neuroinflammation

Introduction: Isoflurane inhalation leads to apoptotic neurodegeneration and further results in learning and cognitive dysfunction. Notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1), a major ingredient from Radix notoginseng, has been reported to exert neuroprotective effect during brain or neuron injury. This study aimed to investigate the effect of NGR1 on neurological impairment. Methods: Sixty-four male Sprague Dawley rat pups (15–20 g) of postnatal day 7 were recruited. Spatial learning and memory were assessed by the Morris water maze test, and the neurological severity score was determined. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression levels of microRNA (miR)-29a. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied to estimate the levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the hippocampal tissues. Results: NGR1 attenuated neurological impairment induced by isoflurane, shown by the decrease in neurological function score and escape latency and the increase in staying time in the original quadrant in rats. NGR1 reversed the downregulation of miR-29a expression induced by isoflurane treatment. After the treatment of NGR1, the elevated levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β induced by isoflurane were all decreased significantly in the hippocampal tissues of rats. Additionally, the repressive action of NGR1 in neurological impairment and neuroinflammation was eliminated by downregulating miR-29a in rats. Conclusion: NGR1 protects against isoflurane-induced neurological impairment. The protective effect of NGR1 might be achieved by promoting the expression of miR-29a and preventing inflammatory response.

Protective effects of notoginsenoside R1 on acute lung injury in rats with sepsis.

BackgroundTo clarify the mechanism of notoginsenoside R1 in the treatment of septic acute lung injury (ALI) based on network pharmacological analysis, and to verify it in the model of septic ALI in rats.MethodsBased on database searching, the related targets of notoginsenoside R1 and ALI were identified, and the component-disease-target network was constructed. The core targets were screened by protein-protein interaction (PPI), and the functional enrichment of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) was analyzed. The rat model of septic ALI was further established to investigate the pharmacological effects of notoginsenoside R1.ResultsNotoginsenoside R1 possibly affected ALI through 150 targets, of which 36 were core targets. GO semantic similarity analysis showed that notoginsenoside R1 might play a role in regulating interleukin 17 (IL-17) signal pathway, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signal pathway and other key links by regulating MAPK1, MAPK3, IL-1β and other targets. The results of pharmacological experiments showed that notoginsenoside R1 could significantly reduce the wet:dry ratio of the lung in an animal model of ALI, improve the pathological injury of the lung, and reduce the content of IL-1β in serum and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of experimental animals.ConclusionsNotoginsenoside R1 can inhibit pulmonary edema, reduce inflammation, and improve lung lesions through multiple targets and pathways to achieve the pharmacological effects in the treatment of septic ALI.

Protective effects of notoginsenoside R1 on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effect of notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) in rats, and its molecular mechanism, to provide new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of CIRI. Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups including the sham-operation group (Sham), cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model group (CIR), NGR1 treatment group (NGR1), and nimodipine positive control group (NDC) with 15 rats each. Bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion was used to establish the rat CIRI model. The area of cerebral infarction at the end of reperfusion was calculated by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining. Apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in each group was detected by Annexin V/propidium iodide double staining. Hippocampal expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA, and Bcl-2 and Bax protein at the end of reperfusion were measured by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis, respectively. Data were analyzed by SPSS software analysis to ensure statistical significance. At the end of reperfusion, the area of cerebral infarction in the NGR1 and NDC groups was significantly smaller than that of the CIR group. Apoptosis analysis showed that compared with the CIR group, the apoptosis rate of hippocampal neurons was significantly decreased in the NGR1 and NDC groups. RT-qPCR and western blot analysis showed that at the end of reperfusion, higher levels of BDNF mRNA and the anti-apoptotic factor, Bcl-2, and lower levels of the pro-apoptotic factor, Bax, in the hippocampus were found in the NGR1 and NDC groups compared with the CIR group. The protective effect of NGR1 on CIRI was significantly stronger than that of nimodipine. In conclusion, NGR1 can reduce the area of cerebral infarction, reduce apoptosis of hippocampal neurons, and protect rats from CIRI. Those effects were achieved by activating the expression of BDNF and Bcl-2, and by inhibiting the expression of Bax.

Protective effect of notoginsenoside R1 on neuron injury induced by OGD/R through ATF6/Akt signaling pathway

Notoginsenoside R1(NGR1),a critical compound in traditional herb Panax notoginseng, is a kind of estrogen receptor agonist.It is reported to exhibit anti-apoptotic,anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties activity, so it is widely used for treatment of various diseases.In order to investigate the potential neuroprotective effect of NGR1 in hypoxic-ischemic brain damage(HIBD), primary cortical neurons were used in this study to establish oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R) injury models. They were treated with NGR1 and estrogen receptor inhibitor ICI-182780 respectively, then the neuronal survival, cell membrane integrity and apoptosis were assessed by MTT assay,lactate dehydrogenase test(LDH) and Hoechst 33342 stain respectively, while the protein expression levels of ATF6α,p-Akt,Akt,Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3 were measured by Western blotting. Results indicated that as compared with the blank control group,OGD/R could induce cell injury and apoptosis(P<0.05), reduce relative integrity of cell membrane(P<0.05), decrease protein expression of ATF6α,p-Akt(P<0.05), and increase protein expression of Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3(P<0.05) in the primary cortical cells. After NGR1 treatment, the expression levels of ATF6α,p-Akt were obviously increased, and the expression levels of Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3 and the apoptosis of neuron were decreased(P<0.05). However, these neuroprotective properties of NGR1 against ODG/R-induced cell damage could be blocked by ICI-182780. This finding indicated that NGR1 may protect the primary cortical neurons against OGD/R induced injury,and the mechanism may be associated with accelerating the activation of the ATF6/Akt signaling pathway via estrogen receptors.

Notoginsenoside R1 attenuates glucose-induced podocyte injury via the inhibition of apoptosis and the activation of autophagy through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Injury to terminally differentiated podocytes contributes ignificantly to proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis. The aim of this study was to examine the protective effects of notoginsenoside R1 (NR1) on the maintenance of podocyte number and foot process architecture via the inhibition of apoptosis, the induction of autophagy and the maintenance pf podocyte biology in target cells. The effects of NR1 on conditionally immortalized human podocytes under high glucose conditions were evaluated by determining the percentage apoptosis, the percentage autophagy and the expression levels of slit diaphragm proteins. Our results revealed that NR1 protected the podocytes against high glucose-induced injury by decreasing apoptosis, increasing autophagy and by promoting cytoskeletal recovery. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway was further investigated in order to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the protective effects of NR1 on podocytes. Our data indicated that treatment with NR increased the phosphorylation levels of PI3K, Akt and mTOR, leading to the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in podocytes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in vitro study to demonstrate that NR1 protects podocytes by activating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Notoginsenoside R1 ameliorates podocyte injury in rats with diabetic nephropathy by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

The present study was designed to examine the protective effect of notoginsenoside R1 (NR1) on podocytes in a rat model of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy (DN), and to explore the mechanism responsible for NR1-induced renal protection. Diabetes was induced by a single injection of STZ, and NR1 was administered daily at a dose of 5 mg/kg (low dose), 10 mg/kg (medium) and 20 mg/kg (high) for 16 weeks in Sprague-Dawley rats. Blood glucose levels, body weight and proteinuria were measured every 4 weeks, starting on the day that the rats received NR1. Furthermore, on the day of sacrifice, blood, urine and kidneys were collected in order to assess renal function according to general parameters. Pathological staining was performed to evaluate the renal protective effect of NR1, and the expression of the key slit diaphragm proteins, namely neprhin, podocin and desmin, were evaluated. In addition, the serum levels of inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), tumor growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6] as well as an anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) were assessed, and the apoptosis of podocytes was quantified. Finally, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway and the involvement of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inactivation was further analyzed. In this study, NR1 improved renal function by ameliorating histological alterations, increasing the expression of nephrin and podocin, decreasing the expression of desmin, and inhibiting both the inflammatory response as well as the apoptosis of podocytes. Furthermore, NR1 treatment increased the phosphorylation of both PI3K (p85) and Akt, indicating that activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was involved. Moreover, NR1 treatment decreased the phosphorylation of NF-κB (p65), suggesting the downregulation of NF-κB. This is the first study to the best of our knowledge, to clearly demonstrate that NR1 treatment ameliorates podocyte injury by inhibiting both inflammation and apoptosis through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Cardioprotective effects of Notoginsenoside R1 against ischemia/reperfusion injuries by regulating oxidative stress- and endoplasmic reticulum stress- related signaling pathways.

Background: Recent reports suggested the involvement of oxidative stress- and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-associated pathways in the progression of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) is a novel saponin isolated from P. notoginseng, which has a history of prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Objective: We aimed to examine the cardioprotective effects of NGR1 on I/R-induced heart dysfunction ex vivo and in vitro. Methods: H9c2 cadiomyocytes were incubated with NGR1 for 24 h and exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation. Isolated rat hearts were perfused by NGR1 for 15 min and then subjected to global ischemia/reperfusion. Hemodynamic parameters were monitored as left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), heart rate, and maximal rate of increase and decrease of left ventricular pressure (±dP/dt max/min). Results: NGR1 pretreatment prevents cell apoptosis and delays the onset of ERS by decreasing the protein expression levels of ERS-responsive proteins GRP78, P-PERK, ATF6, IRE, and inhibiting the expression of pro-apoptosis proteins CHOP, Caspase-12, and P-JNK. Besides, NGR1 scavenges free radical, and increases the activity of antioxidase. NGR1 inhibits Tunicamycin-induced cell death and cardic dysfunction. Conclusion: We elucidated the significant cardioprotective effects of NGR1 against I/R injuries, and demonstrated the involvement of oxidative stress and ERS in the protective effects of NGR1.

Protective Effect of Notoginsenoside R1 on an APP/PS1 Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease by Up-Regulating Insulin Degrading Enzyme and Inhibiting Aβ Accumulation.

Notoginsenoside R1 (NTR1) is the main active ingredient of the well-known traditional Chinese herbal medicine Panax notoginseng, the root of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen. Studies demonstrated that NTR1 may have some neuronal protective effects. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by β -amyloid protein (Aβ) deposition, neurofibrillary tangle formation and neuronal loss. This study was designed to explore the protective effect of NTR1 on an APP/PS1 double-transgenic mouse model of AD and investigate the possible mechanism. The 3-month-old mice were fed with 5 mg/(kg•d), 25 mg/(kg•d) NTR1 or vehicle via oral gavage for 3 months and changes in behavior, neuropathology, and amyloid pathology were investigated. The mice with NTR1 treatment showed significant amelioration in the cognitive function and increased choline acetyl transferase expression, as compared to the vehicle treated mice. NTR1 treatment inhibited Aβ accumulation and increased insulin degrading enzyme expression in both APP/PS1 mice and N2a-APP695sw cells, suggesting that of NTR1 may exert its protective effects through the enhancement of the Aβ degradation. Furthermore, our data showed that the increased level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and the up-regulation of insulin degrading enzyme induced by NTR1 were inhibited by administration of GW9662 (a PPARγ antagonist), indicating that the effect of NTR1 was mediated, at least in part, by PPARγ. Thus, our findings provide the evidences that NTR1 has protective effect on AD mouse model and NTR1 may be a potential candidate for AD treatment.

Protective effects of notoginsenoside R1 against amyloid-β(1-42) induced mitochondrial apopototic death in SH-SY5Y cells

To investigate the effects and underlying mechanism of notoginsenoside R1 on amyloid-β (1-42) (Aβ(1-42)) induced mitochondrial apoptotic death in SH-SY5Y cells. Cell viability was assayed by MTT, apoptotic rates were analyzed with PI/Annexin V flow cytometry, Bax and Bcl-2 expression were detected with Western blotting, enzymatic activity of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 were measured by ELISA assay. The 6.25-100 nmol x L(-1) of notoginsenoside R1 attenuate Aβ(1-42) induced apoptotic death of SH-SY5Y in dose dependent manner. The ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was elevated in SH-SY5Y with notoginsenoside R1 treatment. Caspase-3 and caspase-9 were activated with notoginsenoside R1 treatment while caspase-8 was not affected. Notoginsenoside R1 could protect SH-SY5Y cells from Aβ(1-42) induced apoptosis via mitochondria related apoptotic pathway.

ROCK-dependent ATP5D modulation contributes to the protection of notoginsenoside NR1 against ischemia-reperfusion-induced myocardial injury.

Cardiac ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury remains a challenge for clinicians, which initiates with energy metabolism disorder. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of notoginsenoside R1 (NR1) on I/R-induced cardiac injury and underlying mechanism. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 30-min occlusion of the left coronary anterior descending artery followed by reperfusion with or without NR1 pretreatment (5 mg·kg(-1)·h(-1)). In vitro, H9c2 cells were cultured under oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation conditions after NR1 (0.1 mM), Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632 (10 μM), or RhoA/ROCK activator U-46619 (10 nM) administration. Myocardial infarct size, myocardial histology, and cardiac function were evaluated. Myofibril and mitochondria morphology were observed by transmission electron microscopy. F-actin and apoptosis were determined by immunofluorescence and TUNEL staining. ATP and AMP content were assessed by ELISA. Phosphorylated-AMP-activated protein kinase, ATP synthase subunits, apoptosis-related molecules, and the level and activity of ROCK were determined by Western blot analysis. We found that NR1 pretreatment ameliorated myocardial infarction, histological injury, and cardiac function induced by I/R. Furthermore, similar to the effect of Y-27632, NR1 improved H9c2 cell viability, maintained actin skeleton and mitochondria morphology, and attenuated apoptosis induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation. Importantly, NR1 prevented energy abnormity, inhibited the expression and activation of ROCK, and restored the expression of the mitochondrial ATP synthase δ-subunit both in vivo and in vitro, whereas U-46619 suppressed the effect of NR1. These results prove NR1 as an agent able to prevent I/R-induced energy metabolism disorder via inhibiting ROCK and enhancing mitochondrial ATP synthase δ-subunits, which at least partially contributes to its protection against cardiac I/R injury.

Protective effects of notoginsenoside R1 on rat intestinal reperfusion injury (650.10)

Intestinal ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) is a clinical problem occurred for diverse causes with high mortality. The present study was to explore the role of Notoginsenoside R1 (R1), a major component form Panax. Notoginseng, in management of intestinal I/R injury. Intestinal I/R was induced in male Sprague‐Dawley rats by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 90 min followed by reperfusion for 60 min or 3 days. R1 (10 mg/kg/h) was administered either 20 min before ischemia or 20 min after reperfusion. Intestinal microcirculation was evaluated by intravital microscopy over 60 min reperfusion. Sixty min or 3 days after reperfusion, rats were killed for histological examination of the jejunum tissue and immunohistochemical localization of myeloperoxidase and CD68. ATP, ADP and AMP content in jejunum tissue was assessed by ELISA. Activation of NF‐κB, expression of ATP5D and tight junction proteins were determined by Western blotting. The results demonstrated that R1 is capable of attenuating intestinal I/R‐induced microvascular hyperpermeability, inflammatory cytokine production, NF‐κB activation and loss of tight junction proteins, as well as improving energy metabolism during I/R. The results of the present study suggest R1 as an option in protecting against intestinal I/R injury.

Notoginsenoside R1 Ameliorates Podocyte Adhesion Under Diabetic Condition Through α3β1 Integrin Upregulation in Vitro and in Vivo

Background: Decreased expression of α₃β₁ integrin may contribute to reduction in podocyte adhesion to glomerular basement membrane (GBM), which represents a novel early mechanism leading to diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Here, we examined the protective effects of Notoginsenoside R1 (NR1) on podocyte adhesion and α₃β₁ integrin expression under diabetic condition in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Conditionally immortalized mouse podocytes were exposed to high glucose (HG) with 10 and 100μg /ml of NR1 for 24 h. Podocyte adhesion, albuminuria, oxidative markers, renal histopathology, podocyte number per glomerular volume, integrin-linked kinase (ILK) activity and α₃β₁ integrin expression were measured in vitro and in vivo. Results: HG decreased podocyte adhesive capacity and α₃β₁ integrin expression, the main podocyte anchoring dimer to the GBM. However, NR1 ameliorated impaired podocyte adhesive capacity and partially restored α₃β₁ integrin protein and mRNA expression. These in vitro observations were confirmed in vivo. In streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats, treatment with NR1 (5 and 10 mg· kg^-1· d^-1) for 12 weeks partially restored the number of podocytes per glomerular volume and glomerular α₃β₁ integrin expression, as well as ameliorated albuminuria, histopathology and oxidative stress. NR1 also inhibited glomerular ILK activity in diabetic rats. Conclusion: NR1, a novel antioxidant, ameliorated glucose-induced impaired podocyte adhesive capacity and subsequent podocyte depopulation partly through α₃β₁ integrin upregulation. These findings might provide a potential new therapeutic option for the treatment of DKD.

Protective effects of Notoginsenoside R1 on intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Intestinal ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) is a clinical problem occurred for diverse causes with high mortality. Prophylaxis and treatment of intestinal I/R remains a challenge for clinicians. The purpose of the present study was to explore the role of Notoginsenoside R1 (R1), a major component form of Panax notoginseng, in management of intestinal I/R injury. Intestinal I/R was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 90 min followed by reperfusion for 60 min or 3 days. R1 (10 mg·kg(-1)·h(-1)) was administered either 20 min before ischemia or 20 min after reperfusion. Intestinal microcirculation was evaluated by intravital microscopy over 60 min reperfusion. Sixty minutes or 3 days after reperfusion, rats were killed for histological examination of the jejunum tissue and immunohistochemical localization of myeloperoxidase and CD68. ATP, ADP, and AMP content in jejunum tissue was assessed by ELISA. Activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and expression of ATP5D and tight junction proteins were determined by Western blotting. The results demonstrated that R1 is capable of attenuating intestinal I/R-induced microvascular hyperpermeability, inflammatory cytokine production, NF-κB activation, and loss of tight junction proteins, as well as improving energy metabolism during I/R. The results of the present study suggest R1 as an option in protecting against intestinal I/R injury.