title: Ginsenoside Rg3 enhances islet cell function and attenuates apoptosis in mouse islets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The transplantation of isolated islets is thought to be an attractive approach for curative treatment of diabetes mellitus. Panax ginseng has been used in oriental countries for its pharmacologic effects, such as antidiabetic and antiinflammatory activities. 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3), an active ingredient of ginseng saponins, has been reported to enhance insulin secretion-stimulating and antiapoptotic activities in pancreatic beta cells. We performed this study to examine the hypothesis that preoperative Rg3 administration can enhance islet cell function and antiapoptosis before islet transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Balb/c mice were randomly divided into 2 groups according to the administration of Rg3 after islet isolation. Mouse islets were cultured in medium supplemented with or without Rg3. In vitro, islet viability and function were assessed. After treatment of islets with a cytokine cocktail (tumor necrosis factor α, interferon-γ, and interleukin-1β), cell viability, function, and apoptosis were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cell viability was similar between the 2 groups. Islets cultured in medium supplemented with Rg3 showed 2.3-fold higher glucose-induced insulin secretion than islets cultured in medium without Rg3. After treatment with a cytokine cocktail, glucose-induced insulin release, total insulin content of islets, and apoptosis were significantly improved in Rg3-treated islets compared with cytokine-treated islets. Cytokine-treated islets produced significantly higher levels of nitric oxide (NO) than islets treated with Rg3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that preoperative Rg3 administration enhanced islet function before islet transplantation and attenuated both cytokine-induced damage associated with NO production and apoptosis. Rg3 administration might be a prospective management to enhanced islet function and ameliorate early inflammation after transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Ulsan University College of Medicine, Gangneung Asan Hospital, South Korea.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ulsan University College of Medicine, Gangneung Asan Hospital, South Korea. Electronic address: jhj@gnah.co.kr.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ulsan University College of Medicine, Gangneung Asan Hospital, South Korea.
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Ulsan University College of Medicine, Gangneung Asan Hospital, South Korea.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Eom
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Natural Medicine Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung, South Korea.
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Natural Medicine Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung, South Korea.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Natural Medicine Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung, South Korea.
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ham
authors.affiliation: Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wee
authors.affiliation: Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D036145:Ginsenosides; D007328:Insulin; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C097367:ginsenoside Rg3; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D005947:Glucose