Pharmacological effects of Ganoderma lucidum extract against high-altitude stressors and its subchronic toxicity assessment

Ganoderma lucidum Induces Myogenesis Markers to Avert Damage to Skeletal Muscles in Rats Exposed to Hypobaric Hypoxia

Jatwani, Arti, and Rajkumar Tulsawani. Ganoderma lucidum induces myogenesis markers to avert damage to skeletal muscles in rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia. High Alt Med Biol. 24:287-295, 2023. Background: Hypobaric hypoxia (HH) has been reported to induce skeletal muscle loss and impair myogenesis. Aqueous extract of G. lucidum (AqGL) contains bioactive metabolites attributed to various pharmacological effects. In this study, protective effect of AqGL in ameliorating muscle mass loss following acute HH has been reported. Materials and Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into following five groups of six rats in each group: unexposed control (Group 1), 6 hours of HH exposure (Group 2), 6 hours of HH exposure+AqGL extract 50 mg/kg body weight (BW) (Group 3), 6 hours of HH exposure+AqGL extract 100 mg/kg BW (Group 4), and 6 hours of HH exposure+AqGL extract 200 mg/kg BW (Group 5). Experimental animals from all groups, except Group, 1 were exposed to HH, simulated altitude of 25,000 ft for 6 hours. After exposure period, gastrocnemius muscle was collected, weighed, and morphological, biochemical, and molecular markers were analyzed. Results: HH-exposed rat muscle showed significant (p < 0.05) increase in oxidative stress markers (reactive oxygen species & malondialdehyde), which was concomitant with decrease in its mass compared to controls. AqGL treatment significantly (p < 0.05) prevented muscle oxidative stress, restored reduced glutathione content, reduced protein carbonyl content and advanced oxidation protein product, and restored muscle mass loss at effective dose of 100 mg/kg BW. Furthermore, AqGL supplementation enhanced Myf5 (p < 0.01), MyoD (p < 0.01), MyoG (p < 0.05), and Mrf4 (nonsignificantly), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (p < 0.01), and interleukin 6 (p < 0.01) expression along with restoration of tumor necrosis factor alpha (p < 0.001) and myostatin (p < 0.05) in hypoxia-exposed muscle, evidencing induction of myogenesis markers. Moreover, histological analysis showed increased myocyte number; nuclei shifted toward the periphery in the treatment group supporting muscle regeneration. Conclusion: AqGL supplementation attenuates muscle mass loss by preventing oxidative stress and inducing modulation in myogenesis markers under HH environment.

The association between testicular toxicity induced by Li2Co3 and protective effect of Ganoderma lucidum: Alteration of Bax & c-Kit genes expression

Ganoderma lucidum has received a lot of attention recently due to its medicinal potential activities. The aim of this designed experiment was to evaluate the beneficial effects of Ganoderma lucidum extract against lithium carbonate induced testicular toxicity and related lesions in mice testis. For this purpose, lithium carbonate at a dose of 30 mg/kg, followed by 75, 150 mg/kg Ganoderma lucidum extract orally were administered for 35 days. The results were obtained from Ganoderma lucidum extract analysis prove contained a large amount of polysaccharides, triterpenoids and poly phenols based on spectrophotometric assay. Also, DPPH assay for Ganoderma lucidum extract showed high level of radical scavenging activity. The hematoxylin & eosin cross section from lithium carbonate treated group exhibited significant alterations in seminiferous tubules. Moreover, lithium carbonate induced oxidative stress via lipid peroxidation and generate MDA (P < 0.001). In addition, lithium carbonate initiated germ cells apoptosis via increase Bax expression (p < 0.001) and reduce germ cells differentiation through down-regulation of c-Kit expression (p < 0.05). Results from CASA showed that sperm parameters like count, motility and viability significantly decreased in lithium treated group (p < 0.001). It is clear that lithium carbonate induce severe damage on male reproductive system and histopathological damages via generation oxidative stress but supplementation with Ganoderma lucidum extract exhibited prevention effects and repaired induced damages.

Ganoderma lucidum aqueous extract prevents hypobaric hypoxia induced memory deficit by modulating neurotransmission, neuroplasticity and maintaining redox homeostasis

Oxidative stress due to hypobaric hypoxia at extreme altitudes causes severe neuronal damage and irreversible cognitive loss. Owing to contraindications of current drug therapies, the aim of the study was to investigate memory enhancing potential of aqueous extract of Ganoderma lucidum (GLAQ) and underlying neuroprotective mechanism using rat hypobaric hypoxia test model. Rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia showed deranged spatial memory in morris water maze test with hippocampal damage and vasogenic cerebral edema. All these changes were prevented with GLAQ treatment. Blood and biochemical analysis revealed activation of hypoxic ventilatory response, red blood cells induction, reversal of electrolyte and redox imbalance, and restoration of cellular bioenergetic losses in GLAQ treated animals. Notably, GLAQ treatment ameliorated levels of neurotransmitters (catecholamines, serotonin, glutamate), prevented glucocorticoid and α-synuclein surge, improved neuroplasticity by upregulating CREB/p-CREB/BDNF expression via ERK1/ERK2 induction. Further, restoration of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor with stabilization of hypoxia inducible factors and inflammatory markers were evidenced in GLAQ treated rats which was additionally established in gene reporter array using an alternative HT22 cell test model. Conclusively, our studies provide novel insights into systemic to molecular level protective mechanism by GLAQ in combating hypobaric hypoxia induced oxidative stress and memory impairment.