title: Korean red ginseng extracts inhibit NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasome activation.
abstract: Korean red ginseng extract (RGE) is one of the most popular natural herbs modulating the immune system. Although the effects of RGE on immunity have been reported, its effects on inflammasomes, multi-protein complexes that activate caspase-1 to induce maturation of interleukin (IL)-1β, have not been studied yet. In this study, we elucidated the effect of RGE on inflammasome activation using mouse and human macrophages. In our results, RGE inhibited IL-1β maturation resulting from NLRP3 inflammasome activation in both in vitro and in vivo models. In addition, RGE strongly attenuated IL-1β secretion as well as pathogen clearance via pyroptotic cell death by macrophages through inhibition of AIM2 inflammasome activation. Ginsenosides Rg1 and Rh3 were suggested as inhibitors of the inflammasome activation. Thus, we demonstrated that RGE inhibits both NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasome activation, with predominant involvement of the AIM2 inflammasome.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeeyoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Huijeong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Korea Ginseng Corp., Daejeon 305-805, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Cheol
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Korea Ginseng Corp., Daejeon 305-805, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Korean Basic Science Institute, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Wook
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Cheon Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do 361-763, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eui-Ju
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterial Science, College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Pusan National University, Gyeongsangnam-do 627-706, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Beum-Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do 361-763, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eui-Bae
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Jeung
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: leegeun@kangwon.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Geun-Shik
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D058847:Inflammasomes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D000071199:NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; D005894:Panax; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C410167:AIM2 protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D036145:Ginsenosides; C587672:IL1B protein, mouse; D058847:Inflammasomes; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D000071199:NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; C453881:NLRP3 protein, human; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: AIM2; Cytokine; Inflammasome; Interleukin-1; Macrophages; Red ginseng extracts