[Possible mechanisms of the protective effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on apoptosis in substantia nigra neurons].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of ginsenoside Rg1 in preventing against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced apoptosis of the substantia nigra neurons in the mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD).


METHODS
C57B1 male mice were given MPTP i.p. in the PD model group. Different doses of ginsenoside Rg1 (2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg.kg-1) were given i.p. 3 days prior to MPTP in the pretreatment group. Nissl staining, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunostaining and TdT-mediated duTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining were used to observe the damage of nigral neurons. The method of immunostaining was used to detect the caspase-3 activity, expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS).


RESULTS
Pretreatment with ginsenoside Rg1 was shown to prevent the loss of Nissl staining neurons and TH-positive neurons, and decrease the percent of TUNEL-positive. Simultaneously, Rg1 was found to reduce caspase-3 activity and the expression of iNOS.


CONCLUSIONS
Ginsenoside Rg1 showed protective effect on MPTP-induced apoptosis in the mouse nigral neurons and this effect may be attributable to reducing the expression of iNOS and inhibiting the activation of caspase-3.
Chen
Ying
Y
Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Union Hospital of Fujian Medical Univisity, Fuzhou 350001, China.
Chen
Xiao-chun
XC
D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011897:Random Allocation; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000473:pathology*
D036145:Ginsenosides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; C496321:Nos1 protein, mouse; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; C035054:ginsenoside Rg1