Ginsenoside Re inhibits PDGF-BB-induced VSMC proliferation via the eNOS/NO/cGMP pathway

Integration of network pharmacology and proteomics analysis to identify key target pathways of Ginsenoside Re for myocardial ischemia

BACKGROUND

Clinically, various diseases cause myocardial ischemia (MI), which further induces severe cardiac injury and leads to high mortality in patients. Ginsenoside Re, one of the major ginsenosides in ginseng, can regulate the level of oxidative stress in the injured myocardium. Thus, it may attenuate MI injury, but the related mechanism has not been comprehensively studied.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the anti-MI effect and comprehensively mechanisms of Ginsenoside Re.

STUDY DESIGN/METHODS

Oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), oxidative-induced cardiomyocyte injury, and isoproterenol-induced MI mice were used to explore their protective effect of Ginsenoside Re. An integrated approach of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and tandem mass tag proteomics was applied to determine the corresponding common potential targets of Ginsenoside Re against MI, such as target proteins and related pathways. The major anti-MI target proteins and related pathways were validated by immunofluorescence (IF) assay and Western blotting (WB).

RESULTS

Ginsenoside Re (1.32-168.93 µM) had low toxicity to normal cardiomyocytes, and increased the survival of oxidative stress-injured (OGD-induced injury or H2O2-induced injury) cardiomyocytes in this concentration range. It regulated the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in OGD-injured cardiomyocytes; stabilized the nuclear morphology, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and mitochondrial function; and reduced apoptosis. Meanwhile, Ginsenoside Re (5-20 mg/kg) alleviated cardiac injury in MI mice and maintained cardiac function. Through network pharmacology and proteomics, the relevant mechanisms revealed several key pathways of Ginsenoside Re anti-MI, including inhibition of MAPK pathway protein phosphorylation, downregulation of phosphorylated PDPK1, AKT, and STAT3, and upregulation of TGF-β3, ferroptosis pathway (upregulation of GPX4 and downregulation of phosphorylation level of MDM2) and AMPK pathway (regulating the synthesis of cholesterol in the myocardium by downregulation of HMGCR). The key proteins of these target pathways were validated by IF and/or WB.

CONCLUSION

Ginsenoside Re may target MAPK, AKT, ferroptosis pathways and AMPK pathway to prevent and/or treat MI injury and protect cardiomyocytes from oxidative damage.

MiR-411-5p Promotes Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype Switch by Inhibiting Expression of Calmodulin Regulated Spectrin-Associated Protein-1

When stimulated, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) change from a differentiated to a dedifferentiated phenotype. Dedifferentiated VSMCs have a key activity in cardiovascular diseases such as in-stent restenosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have crucial functions in conversion of differentiated VSMCs to a dedifferentiated phenotype. We investigated the activity of miR-411-5p in the proliferation, migration, and phenotype switch of rat VSMCs.Based on a microRNA array assay, miR-411-5p expression was found to be significantly increased in cultured VSMCs stimulated by platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). A CCK-8 assay, transwell assay, and scratch test were performed to measure the effect of miR-411-5p on the proliferation and migration of PDGF-BB-treated VSMCs. MiR-411-5p promoted expression of dedifferentiated phenotype markers such as osteopontin and tropomyosin 4 in PDGF-BB-treated VSMCs. Using mimics and inhibitors, we identified the target of miR-411-5p in PDGF-BB-treated VSMCs and found that calmodulin-regulated spectrin-associated protein-1 (CAMSAP1) was involved in the phenotypic switch mediated by PDGF-BB.By inhibiting expression of CAMSAP1, miR-411-5p enhanced the proliferation, migration, and phenotype switch of VSMCs.Blockade of miR-411-5p interaction with CAMSAP1 is a promising approach to treat in-stent restenosis.

The anti-platelet activity of panaxadiol fraction and panaxatriol fraction of Korean Red Ginseng in vitro and ex vivo

Background

The anti-platelet activity of the saponin fraction of Korean Red Ginseng has been widely studied. The saponin fraction consists of the panaxadiol fraction (PDF) and panaxatriol fraction (PTF); however, their anti-platelet activity is yet to be compared. Our study aimed to investigate the potency of anti-platelet activity of PDF and PTF and to elucidate how well they retain their anti-platelet activity via different administration routes.

Methods

For ex vivo studies, Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered 250 mg/kg PDF and PTF for 7 consecutive days before blood collection via cardiac puncture. Platelet aggregation was conducted after isolation of the washed platelets. For in vitro studies, washed platelets were obtained from Sprague-Dawley rats. Collagen and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) were used to induce platelet aggregation. Collagen was used as an agonist for assaying adenosine triphosphate release, thromboxane B2, serotonin, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) release.

Results

When treated ex vivo, PDF not only inhibited ADP and collagen-induced platelet aggregation, but also upregulated cGMP levels and reduced platelet adhesion to fibronectin. Furthermore, it also inhibited Akt phosphorylation induced by collagen treatment. Panaxadiol fraction did not exert any anti-platelet activity in vitro, whereas PTF exhibited potent anti-platelet activity, inhibiting ADP, collagen, and thrombin-induced platelet aggregation, but significantly elevated levels of cGMP.

Conclusion

Our study showed that in vitro and ex vivo PDF and PTF treatments exhibited different potency levels, indicating possible metabolic conversions of ginsenosides, which altered the content of ginsenosides capable of preventing platelet aggregation.

Ginsenoside Re attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion induced ferroptosis via miR-144-3p/SLC7A11

BACKGROUND

Ginsenoside Re is an active component in ginseng that confers protection against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Ferroptosis is a type of regulated cell death found in various diseases.

PURPOSE

Our study aims to investigate the role of ferroptosis and the protective mechanism of Ginsenoside Re in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion.

METHODS

In the present study, we treated rats for five days with Ginsenoside Re, then established the myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury rat model to detect molecular implications in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion regulation and to determine the underlying mechanism.

RESULTS

This study identifies the mechanism behind ginsenoside Re's effect on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury and its regulation of ferroptosis through miR-144-3p. Ginsenoside Re significantly reduced cardiac damage caused by ferroptosis during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury and glutathione decline. To determine how Ginsenoside Re regulated ferroptosis, we isolated exosomes from VEGFR2⁺ endothelial progenitor cells after ischemia/reperfusion injury and performed miRNA profiling to screen the miRNAs aberrantly expressed in the process of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury and ginsenoside Re treatment. We identified that miR-144-3p was upregulated in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by luciferase report and qRT-PCR. We further confirmed that the solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) was the target gene of miR-144-3p by database analysis and western blot. In comparison with ferropstatin-1, a ferroptosis inhibitor, in vivo studies confirmed that ferropstatin-1 also diminished myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury induced cardiac function damage.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated that ginsenoside Re attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion induced ferroptosis via miR-144-3p/SLC7A11.

Ginsenoside Re inhibits myocardial fibrosis by regulating miR-489/myd88/NF-κB pathway

Background

Myocardial fibrosis (MF) is an advanced pathological manifestation of many cardiovascular diseases, which can induce heart failure and malignant arrhythmias. However, the current treatment of MF lacks specific drugs. Ginsenoside Re has anti-MF effect in rat, but its mechanism is still not clear. Therefore, we investigated the anti-MF effect of ginsenoside Re by constructing mouse acute myocardial infarction (AMI) model and AngⅡ induced cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) model.

Methods

The anti-MF effect of miR-489 was investigated by transfection of miR-489 mimic and inhibitor in CFs. Effect of ginsenoside Re on MF and its related mechanisms were investigated by ultrasonographic, ELISA, histopathologic staining, transwell test, immunofluorescence, Western blot and qPCR in the mouse model of AMI and the AngⅡ-induced CFs model.

Results

MiR-489 decreased the expression of α-SMA, collagenⅠ, collagen Ⅲ and myd88, and inhibited the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 in normal CFs and CFs treated with AngⅡ. Ginsenoside Re could improve cardiac function, inhibit collagen deposition and CFs migration, promote the transcription of miR-489, and reduce the expression of myd88 and the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65.

Conclusion

MiR-489 can effectively inhibit the pathological process of MF, and the mechanism is at least partly related to the regulation of myd88/NF-κB pathway. Ginsenoside Re can ameliorate AMI and AngⅡ induced MF, and the mechanism is at least partially related to the regulation of miR-489/myd88/NF-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, miR-489 may be a potential target of anti-MF and ginsenoside Re may be an effective drug for the treatment of MF.

Functional compounds of ginseng and ginseng-containing medicine for treating cardiovascular diseases

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A.Mey.) is the dry root and rhizome of the Araliaceae ginseng plant. It has always been used as a tonic in China for strengthening the body. Cardiovascular disease is still the main cause of death in the world. Some studies have shown that the functional components of ginseng can regulate the pathological process of various cardiovascular diseases through different mechanisms, and its formulation also plays an irreplaceable role in the clinical treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, this paper elaborates the current pharmacological effects of ginseng functional components in treating cardiovascular diseases, summarizes the adverse reactions of ginseng, and sorts out the Chinese patent medicines containing ginseng formula which can treat cardiovascular diseases.

Therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine in atherosclerosis: A review

Atherosclerosis is the onset of endothelial cell damage and is characterized by abnormal accumulation of fibrinogen and lipid in large and middle arteries. Recent researches indicate that traditional Chinese medicine including Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Astragali Radix, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Fructus Crataegi, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Polygoni Multiflori Radix, Fructus Lycii, and Coptidis Rhizoma have therapeutic effects on atherosclerosis. Furthermore, the pharmacological roles of these kinds of traditional Chinese medicine in atherosclerosis refer to endothelial function influences, cell proliferation and migration, platelet aggregation, thrombus formation, oxidative stress, inflammation, angiogenesis, apoptosis, autophagy, lipid metabolism, and the gut microbiome. Traditional Chinese medicine may serve as potential and effective anti-atherosclerosis drugs. However, a critical study has shown that Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma may also have toxic effects including pustules, fever, and elevate circulating neutrophil count. Further high-quality studies are still required to determine the clinical safety and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine and its active ingredients.

A comprehensive system review of pharmacological effects and relative mechanisms of Ginsenoside Re: Recent advances and future perspectives

BACKGROUND

Ginsenoside Re (Re) belongs to protopanaxatriol saponins and exists in Panax ginseng, Panax quinquefolium, Panax notoginseng, and other plants in the Araliaceae family. Re has recently become a research focus owing to its pharmacological activities and benefits to human bodies.

PURPOSE

To summarize recent findings regarding the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of Re and highlight and predict the potential therapeutic effects and systematic mechanism of Re.

METHODS

Recent studies (2011-2021) on the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of Re were retrieved from Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Embase up to December 2021 using relevant keywords. Network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis were used to predict the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Re against potential diseases.

RESULTS

Re presented a wide range of therapeutic and biological activities, including neuroprotective, cardiovascular, antidepressant, antitumorigenic, and others effects. The related pharmacological mechanisms of Re include the regulation of cholinergic and antioxidant systems in the brain; the induction of tumor cell apoptosis; the inhibition of tau protein hyperphosphorylation and oxidative stress; the activation of p38MAPK, ERK1/2, and JNK signals; the improvement of lipid metabolism; and the reduction of endothelial cell dysfunction.

CONCLUSION

This paper summarizes comprehensively the current research progress of Re and provides new research insights into the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Re against potential diseases.

Evening Primrose Extracts Inhibit PDGF-BB-Induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Migration by Regulating Cell-Cycle-Related Proteins

The proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are important factors in the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, such as blood flow abnormalities, stroke and atherosclerosis. Evening primrose, known as Oenothera biennis, is a plant native to Korea that exerts physiological activities, such as antioxidant effects, the inhibition of lipid accumulation and the prevention of muscle atrophy. However, the function of evening primrose stem (EVP) in the regulation of VSMC proliferation and migration and the underlying mechanisms have not been identified. In this study, the effect of EVP on the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced proliferation and migration of VSMCs was investigated. The results show that PDGF-BB-induced proliferation of VSMCs was inhibited by EVP at concentrations of 25, 50 or 100 μg/mL in a concentration-dependent manner, and a migration assay showed that EVP inhibited cell migration. Cell cycle analysis was performed to confirm the mechanism by which cell proliferation and migration was inhibited. The results indicate that proteins involved in the cell cycle, such as cyclin, CDK and phosphorylated Rb, were downregulated by EVP at concentrations of 100 μg/mL, thereby increasing the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase and inhibiting cell cycle progression. In the PDGF receptor (PDGFR) signaling pathway, phosphorylation of the PDGFR was inhibited by EVP at concentrations of 100 μg/mL, and PLCγ phosphorylation was also decreased. The PDGF-BB-induced effect of EVP on the proliferation of VSMCs involved the inhibition of Akt phosphorylation and the reduction in the phosphorylation of MAPK proteins such as ERK, P38 and JNK. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that EVP inhibited PDGF-BB-induced VSMC proliferation and migration by regulating cell-cycle-related proteins.

Pharmacological Properties of Ginsenoside Re

Ginsenoside Re is a protopanaxatriol-type saponin extracted from the berry, leaf, stem, flower bud, and root of Panax ginseng. In recent years, ginsenoside Re (Re) has been attracting attention as a dietary phytochemical. In this review, studies on Re were compiled by searching a combination of keywords, namely “pharmacology,” “pharmacokinetics,” and “toxicology,” in the Google Scholar, NCBI, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. The aim of this review was to provide an exhaustive overview of the pharmacological activities, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of Re, focusing on clinical evidence that has shown effectiveness in specific diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, nervous system diseases, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Re is also known to eliminate virus, enhance the immune response, improve osteoporosis, improve skin barrier function, enhance intracellular anti-oxidant actions, regulate cholesterol metabolism, alleviate allergic responses, increase sperm motility, reduce erectile dysfunction, promote cyclic growth of hair follicles, and reduce gastrointestinal motility dysfunction. Furthermore, this review provides data on pharmacokinetic parameters and toxicological factors to examine the safety profile of Re. Such data will provide a theoretical basis and reference for Re-related studies and future applications.

Ginseng in vascular dysfunction: A review of therapeutic potentials and molecular mechanisms

Vascular dysfunction can lead to a variety of fatal diseases, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. Although a large number of studies have reported the therapeutic effects of natural compounds on vascular‐related diseases, ginseng is still the focus of research. Ginseng and its active substances have bioactive effects against different diseases with vascular dysfunction. In this review, we summarized the key molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways of ginseng, its different active ingredients or formula in the prevention and treatment of vascular‐related diseases, including cardiac‐cerebral vascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes complications, and cancer. Moreover, the bidirectional roles of ginseng in promoting or inhibiting angiogenesis have been highlighted. We systematically teased out the relationship between ginseng and vascular dysfunction, which could provide a basis for the clinical application of ginseng in the future.

Ginseng in vascular dysfunction: A review of therapeutic potentials and molecular mechanisms

Vascular dysfunction can lead to a variety of fatal diseases, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. Although a large number of studies have reported the therapeutic effects of natural compounds on vascular-related diseases, ginseng is still the focus of research. Ginseng and its active substances have bioactive effects against different diseases with vascular dysfunction. In this review, we summarized the key molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways of ginseng, its different active ingredients or formula in the prevention and treatment of vascular-related diseases, including cardiac-cerebral vascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes complications, and cancer. Moreover, the bidirectional roles of ginseng in promoting or inhibiting angiogenesis have been highlighted. We systematically teased out the relationship between ginseng and vascular dysfunction, which could provide a basis for the clinical application of ginseng in the future.

Ferulic Acid Alleviates Atherosclerotic Plaques by Inhibiting VSMC Proliferation Through the NO/p21 Signaling pathway

The benefits and risks of inhibiting the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in atherosclerosis (AS) remain a subject of debate. In this study, we investigated the effect of ferulic acid (FA) on the proliferation and migration of VSMCs induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and the associated mechanism and used ApoE^-/- mice to study whether the effect of FA on VSMC proliferation and migration is beneficial in alleviating AS plaques. It was found that FA not only reduced blood lipid levels but also promoted the production of nitric oxide (NO) by MOVAS cells through the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathway, inhibited the migration and proliferation of VSMCs induced by PDGF, promoted the expression of p21 in VSMCs, and exerted a therapeutic effect against AS.

Preparation, Characterization, and Bioavailability of Host-Guest Inclusion Complex of Ginsenoside Re with Gamma-Cyclodextrin

This work aimed at improving the water solubility of Ginsenoside (G)-Re by forming an inclusion complex. The solubility parameters of G-Re in alpha (α), beta (β), and gamma (γ) cyclodextrin (CD) were investigated. The phase solubility profiles were all classified as AL-type that indicated the 1:1 stoichiometric relationship with the stability constants Ks which were 22 M⁻¹ (α-CD), 612 M⁻¹ (β-CD), and 14,410 M⁻¹ (γ-CD), respectively. Molecular docking studies confirmed the results of phase solubility with the binding energy of −4.7 (α-CD), −5.10 (β-CD), and −6.70 (γ-CD) kcal/mol, respectively. The inclusion complex (IC) of G-Re was prepared with γ-CD via the water-stirring method followed by freeze-drying. The successful preparation of IC was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In-vivo absorption studies were carried out by LC-MS/MS. Dissolution rate of G-Re was increased 9.27 times after inclusion, and the peak blood concentration was 2.7-fold higher than that of pure G-Re powder. The relative bioavailability calculated from the ratio of Area under the curve AUC₀–_∞ of the inclusion to pure G-Re powder was 171%. This study offers the first report that describes G-Re’s inclusion into γ-CD, and explored the inclusion complex’s mechanism at the molecular level. The results indicated that the solubility could be significantly improved as well as the bioavailability, implying γ-CD was a very suitable inclusion host for complex preparation of G-Re.

UHPLC-MS-Based Serum and Urine Metabolomics Reveals the Anti-Diabetic Mechanism of Ginsenoside Re in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Panax ginseng was employed in the treatment of “Xiao-Ke” symptom, which nowadays known as diabetes mellitus, in traditional Chinese medicine for more than a thousand years. Ginsenoside Re was the major pharmacologic ingredient found abundantly in ginseng. However, the anti-diabetic of Ginsenoside Re and its underlying mechanism in metabolic level are still unclear. Serum and urine metabolomic method was carried out to investigate the anti-diabetic pharmacological effects and the potential mechanism of Ginsenoside Re on high-fat diet combined streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole exactive orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS). Serum and urine samples were collected from the control group (CON), T2DM group, metformin (MET) treatment group, and ginsenoside Re treatment group after intervention. The biochemical parameters of serum were firstly analyzed. The endogenous metabolites in serum and urine were detected by UHPLC-MS. The potential metabolites were screened by multivariate statistical analysis and identified by accurate mass measurement, MS/MS, and metabolite databases. The anti-diabetic-related metabolites were analyzed by KEGG metabolic pathway, and its potential mechanism was discussed. The treatment of ginsenoside Re significantly reduced the blood glucose and serum lipid level improved the oxidative stress caused by T2DM. Biochemical parameters (urea nitrogen, uric acid) showed that ginsenoside Re could improve renal function in T2DM rats. Respective 2 and 6 differential metabolites were found and identified in serum and urine of ginsenoside Re compared with T2DM group and enriched in KEGG pathway. Metabolic pathways analysis indicated that the differential metabolites related to T2DM were mainly involved in arachidonic acid metabolism, Vitamin B6, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and bile secretion metabolic pathways. This study verified the anti-diabetic and anti-oxidation effects of ginsenoside Re, elaborated that ginsenoside Re has a good regulation of the metabolic disorder in T2DM rats, which could promote insulin secretion, stimulated cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB₁), and CaMKK β to activate AMPK signaling pathway, inhibited insulin resistance, and improved blood glucose uptake and diabetic nephropathy, so as to play the role of anti-diabetic.

Ginsenosides in vascular remodeling: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of their therapeutic action

Evidence is mounting that abnormal vascular remodeling (VR) is a vital pathological event that precedes many cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This provides us with a new research perspective that VR can be a pivotal target for CVD treatment and prevention. However, the current drugs for treating CVD do not fundamentally reverse VR and repair vascular function. The reason may be that a complicated regulatory network is formed between the various signaling pathways involved in VR. Recently, ginsenoside, the main active substance of ginseng, has become increasingly the focus of many researchers for its multiple targets, multiple pathways, and few side effects. Several data have revealed that ginsenosides can improve VR caused by vasodilation dysfunction, abnormal vascular structure and blood pressure. This review is intended to discuss the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of ginsenosides in some diseases involved in VR. Besides, we herein also give a new and contradictory insight into intracellular and molecular signaling of ginsenosides in all kinds of vascular cells. Most importantly, we also discuss the feasibility of ginsenosides Rb1/Rg1/Rg3 in drug development by combining the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of ginsenosides, and provide a pharmacological basis for the development of ginsenosides in clinical applications.

Silence of Insulin-Like Growth Factor 2 mRNA-Binding Protein 1 Prevents Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Proliferation via Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells Isoform-3/Ca2+/Calmodulin Pathway

Increased proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS), and the insulin like growth factor 2 (IGF2) is involved in AS through effects on VSMCs growth and migration. The IGF2 mRNA-binding protein 1(IGF2BP1) is a secreted protein that can bind to IGF2 and regulate its localization, however, whether IGF2BP1 could regulate VSMCs proliferation remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the role of IGF2BP1 in VSMCs proliferation and uncover the potential mechanism. Primary human aortic VSMCs that transfected with or without shRNA-IGF2BP1 were stimulated by platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), and then cell proliferation, intracellular Ca2+ level, cell apoptosis and the expression of IGF2BP1, calmodulin (CaM) and cell cycle-related proteins were detected. RNA pull down assay was used to determine the interaction between IGF2BP1 and nuclear factor of activated T cells isoform-3 (NFATc3). We found that PDGF-BB promoted cell proliferation and enhanced IGF2BP1 protein expression in a concentration-dependent manner. The 10 μg/L PDGF-BB significantly increased intracellular Ca2+ level, NFATc3, CaM and calcineurin A protein expression, TUNEL-positive cells, and the expression of cell cycle-related proteins cyclin D1/E1/B1. However, knockdown of IGF2BP1 significantly blunted all these effects induced by PDGF-BB. In addition, IGF2BP1 could bind to NFATc3 RNA. Collectively, knockdown of IGF2BP1 could inhibit PDGFBB- induced VSMCs proliferation via targeting NFATc3/Ca2+/calmodulin pathway and disturbing the effect of NFATc3/ on cell cycle.

Ginsenoside from ginseng: a promising treatment for inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an autoimmune disease mediated by immune disorder and termed as one of the most refractory diseases by the Word Health Organization. Its morbidity has increased steadily over the past half century worldwide. Environmental, genetic, infectious, and immune factors are integral to the pathogenesis of IBD. Commonly known as the king of herbs, ginseng has been consumed in many countries for the past 2000 years. Its active ingredient ginsenosides, as the most prominent saponins of ginseng, have a wide range of pharmacological effects. Recent studies have confirmed that the active components of Panax ginseng have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects on IBD, including regulating the balance of immune cells, inhibiting the expression of cytokines, as well as activating Toll-like receptor 4, Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor (NLRP), mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, and so on. Accumulated evidence indicates that ginsenosides may serve as a potential novel therapeutic drug or health product additive in IBD prevention and treatment in the future.

Functional roles and mechanisms of ginsenosides from Panax ginseng in atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and it results in a high rate of death worldwide, with an increased prevalence with age despite advances in lifestyle management and drug therapy. Atherosclerosis is a chronic progressive inflammatory process, and it mainly presents with lipid accumulation, foam cell proliferation, inflammatory response, atherosclerotic plaque formation and rupture, thrombosis, and vascular calcification. Therefore, there is a great need for reliable therapeutic drugs or remedies to cure or alleviate atherosclerosis and reduce the societal burden. Ginsenosides are natural steroid glycosides and triterpene saponins obtained mainly from the plant ginseng. Several recent studies have reported that ginsenosides have a variety of pharmacological activities against several diseases including inflammation, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. This review focuses on describing the different pharmacological functions and underlying mechanisms of various active ginsenosides (Rb1,-Rd, -F, -Rg1, -Rg2, and -Rg3, and compound K) for atherosclerosis, which could provide useful insights for developing novel and effective anti-cardiovascular drugs.

The effects of ginsenosides on platelet aggregation and vascular intima in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases: From molecular mechanisms to clinical applications

Thrombosis initiated by abnormal platelet aggregation is a pivotal pathological event that precedes most cases of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Recently, growing evidence indicates that platelet could be a potential target for CVD prevention. However, as the conventional antithrombotic management strategy, applications of current antiplatelet agents are somewhat limited by their various side effects, such as bleeding risk and drug resistance. Hence, efforts have been made to search for agents as complementary therapies. Ginsenoside, the principal active component extracted from Panax ginseng, has gained much attention for its regulations on multiple crucial events of platelet aggregation. From structural characteristics to clinical applications, this review anatomized the intrinsic structure-function relationship of antiplatelet potency of ginsenosides, and the involved signal pathways were specifically summarized. Additionally, the emphasis was placed on clinical studies that investigate the antithrombotic efficacy of ginsenosides in the treatment of CVD. Further, a broad overview of approaches for improving the bioavailability of ginsenosides was concluded. Limitations and prospects of current studies were also discussed. This study may provide some new insights into the systematic understanding of ginsenosides in CVD treatment and lay a foundation for future research.