title: Ginsenoside Rd protects neurons against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity by inhibiting ca(2+) influx.
abstract: Our previous studies have demonstrated that ginsenoside Rd (GSRd), one of the principal ingredients of Pana notoginseng, has neuroprotective effects against ischemic stroke. However, the possible mechanism(s) underlying the neuroprotection of GSRd is/are still largely unknown. In this study, we treated glutamate-injured cultured rat hippocampal neurons with different concentrations of GSRd, and then examined the changes in neuronal apoptosis and intracellular free Ca(2+) concentration. Our MTT assay showed that GSRd significantly increased the survival of neurons injured by glutamate in a dose-dependent manner. Consistently, TUNEL and Caspase-3 staining showed that GSRd attenuated glutamate-induced cell death. Furthermore, calcium imaging assay revealed that GSRd significantly attenuated the glutamate-induced increase of intracellular free Ca(2+) and also inhibited NMDA-triggered Ca(2+) influx. Thus, the present study demonstrates that GSRd protects the cultured hippocampal neurons against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity, and that this neuroprotective effect may result from the inhibitory effects of GSRd on Ca(2+) influx.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, 15 Changle Xi Road, Xi'an, 710032, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Ruidong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Haoran
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Junliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Zhiren
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000187:drug effects*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017136:Ion Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D008954:Models, Biological; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D036145:Ginsenosides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009498:Neurotoxins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D002118:Calcium; C049863:ginsenoside Rd