title: Up-regulation of Heme Oxygenase-1 by Korean Red Ginseng Water Extract as a Cytoprotective Effect in Human Endothelial Cells.
abstract: Korean red ginseng (KRG) is used worldwide as a popular traditional herbal medicine. KRG has shown beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and hypertension. Up-regulation of a cytoprotective protein, heme oxygenase (HO)-1, is considered to augment the cellular defense against various agents that may induce cytotoxic injury. In the present study, we demonstrate that KRG water extract induces HO-1 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and possible involvement of the anti-oxidant transcription factor nuclear factor-eythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). KRG-induced HO-1 expression was examined by western blots, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence staining. Specific silencing of Nrf2 genes with Nrf2-siRNA in HUVECs abolished HO-1 expression. In addition, the HO inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin blunted the preventive effect of KRG on H2O2-induced cell death, as demonstrated by terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Taken together, these results suggest that KRG may exert a vasculoprotective effect through Nrf2- mediated HO-1 induction in human endothelial cell by inhibition of cell death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Seung Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seong Il
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Cheung-Seog
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young-Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Yong Seek
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: Endothelial cells; Heme oxygenase; Oxidative stress; Panax ginseng; Vascular diseases