Anti-apoptotic Function and Mechanism of Ginseng Saponins in Rattus Pancreatic β-Cells

• Published in: Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin Vol. 35; no. 9; pp. 1568 - 1573
• Main Authors: Chen, Fang, Chen, Yuewen, Kang, Xincong, Zhou, Zhiguang, Zhang, Zhixu, Liu, Dongbo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan 2012
• Subjects: Animals; apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Apoptosis - genetics; bcl-2-Associated X Protein - genetics; bcl-2-Associated X Protein - metabolism; Caspase 3 - metabolism; Cell Line; cytokine; Cytokines - metabolism; diabetes; fas Receptor - genetics; fas Receptor - metabolism; Gene Expression - drug effects; ginsenoside; Ginsenosides - pharmacology; Glucose - adverse effects; high glucose; Hypoglycemic Agents - pharmacology; Insulin-Secreting Cells - drug effects; Insulin-Secreting Cells - metabolism; Mitochondria - drug effects; Nitric Oxide - biosynthesis; Panax - chemistry; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Rats; Signal Transduction
• ISSN: 0918-6158; 1347-5215
• DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b12-00461

Apoptosis is the main form of β-cell death in diabetes. Ginseng has been used as an anti-diabetic herb for several thousand years in Asia with ginsenoside Rg1 and ginsenoside Rb1 as important active ingredients. In this study, we demonstrated ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 protect β-cells from high glucose/cytokine-induced pancreatic β-cell apoptosis via inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) production and regulating apoptosis-related genes. Among these genes, Bax, Fas and Caspase-3 gene expressions were up-regulated by high glucose, whereas only Bax and Caspase-3 gene expression were elevated by cytokines. In these two stimuli-induced apoptotic cells, Rg1 down-regulated Fas gene expression, while Rb1 decreased Caspase-3 gene expression. As a conclusion, Fas signal pathway and mitochondria stress is mostly related to anti-diabetes function of ginsenoside Rg1, while Caspase-3 pathway is essential when Rb1 is present.