title: Ginsenosides may enhance the functionality of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in vitro.
abstract: Various chemicals have been reported to induce the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into cardiomyocytes (CMs), however, their contributions to the functionality of hESC-derived CMs are still limited. In this study, we evaluated the effects of red ginseng extract (RGE), ginsenoside-Rb1 (gRb1, panaxadiol), and ginsenoside-Re (gRe, panaxatriol) on the differentiation of hESCs and the functionality of derived CMs. Undifferentiated hESCs were treated with 0.25 mg/mL RGE, 10 μmol/L gRb1, or 10 μmol/L gRe for 48 hours at the differentiation induction (early stage) or maturation (late stage) period. The expression of mesodermal and cardiac transcription factor genes was upregulated in the ginsenoside-treated groups from early stage. The expression of cardiac sarcomeric genes was significantly upregulated at the late stage. The gRb1- and gRe-treated groups upregulated the expression of potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily E member 1 (KCNE1) and the gRe-treated group showed a longer beating duration compared to the control. Taken together, ginsenosides may enhance the functionality of hESC-derived CMs in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Medicine and Population, Medical Research Center, Seoul, Korea Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon Young
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Choate Rosemary Hall, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Jun Beom
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.affiliation: Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, Cornell University Weill Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Hung Ching
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Medicine and Population, Medical Research Center, Seoul, Korea Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea jyhsyk@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Seung-Yup
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Medicine and Population, Medical Research Center, Seoul, Korea Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seok Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Medicine and Population, Medical Research Center, Seoul, Korea Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D005894:Panax
chemical_list: D036145:Ginsenosides; C049864:ginsenoside Re; C442759:ginsenoside Rb1
keywords: cardiomycyte; ginsenoside; human embryonic stem cell