title: Ginsenosides stimulated the proliferation of mouse spermatogonia involving activation of protein kinase C.
abstract: The effect of ginsenosides on proliferation of type A spermatogonia was investigated in 7-day-old mice. Spermatogonia were characterized by c-kit expression and cell proliferation was assessed by immunocytochemical demonstration of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). After 72-h culture, Sertoli cells formed a confluent monolayer to which numerous spermatogonial colonies attached. Spermatogonia were positive for c-kit staining and showed high proliferating activity by PCNA expression. Ginsenosides (1.0 approximately10 microg/ml) significantly stimulated proliferation of spermatogonia. Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) elicited proliferation of spermatogonia at 10(-8) to 10(-7) mol/L and the PKC inhibitor H(7) inhibited this effect. Likewise, ginsenosides-stimulated spermatogonial proliferation was suppressed by combined treatment of H(7). These results indicate that the proliferating effect of ginsenosides on mouse type A spermatogonia might be mediated by a mechanism involving the PKC signal transduction pathway.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemic Etiology and Immunological Prevention of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.
authors.forename: Da-lei
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kai-ming
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Cai-qiao
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000502:physiology*; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D036145:Ginsenosides; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D011493:Protein Kinase C