title: Ginsenoside Rg1 prevents cognitive impairment and hippocampus senescence in a rat model of D-galactose-induced aging.
abstract: Neurogenesis continues throughout the lifetime in the hippocampus, while the rate declines with brain aging. It has been hypothesized that reduced neurogenesis may contribute to age-related cognitive impairment. Ginsenoside Rg1 is an active ingredient of Panax ginseng in traditional Chinese medicine, which exerts anti-oxidative and anti-aging effects. This study explores the neuroprotective effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on the hippocampus of the D-gal (D-galactose) induced aging rat model. Sub-acute aging was induced in male SD rats by subcutaneous injection of D-gal (120 mg/kg·d) for 42 days, and the rats were treated with ginsenoside Rg1 (20 mg/kg·d, intraperitoneally) or normal saline for 28 days after 14 days of D-gal injection. In another group, normal male SD rats were treated with ginsenoside Rg1 alone (20 mg/kg·d, intraperitoneally) for 28 days. It showed that administration of ginsenoside Rg1 significantly attenuated all the D-gal-induced changes in the hippocampus, including cognitive capacity, senescence-related markers and hippocampal neurogenesis, compared with the D-gal-treated rats. Further investigation showed that ginsenoside Rg1 protected NSCs/NPCs (neural stem cells/progenitor cells) shown by increased level of SOX-2 expression; reduced astrocytes activation shown by decrease level of Aeg-1 expression; increased the hippocampal cell proliferation; enhanced the activity of the antioxidant enzymes GSH-Px (glutathione peroxidase) and SOD (Superoxide Dismutase); decreased the levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, which are the proinflammatory cytokines; increased the telomere lengths and telomerase activity; and down-regulated the mRNA expression of cellular senescence associated genes p53, p21Cip1/Waf1 and p19Arf in the hippocampus of aged rats. Our data provides evidence that ginsenoside Rg1 can improve cognitive ability, protect NSCs/NPCs and promote neurogenesis by enhancing the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity in the hippocampus.
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Jiahong
authors: J
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Xinyi
authors: X
authors: Mu
authors: The Land Force Lintong Sanatorium, Xi'an, Shanxi, China.
authors: Jin
authors: J
authors: Zeng
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Chunyan
authors: C
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Mengsi
authors: M
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Chengpeng
authors: C
authors: Li
authors: Chongqing Stem Cell Therapy Engineering Technical Center, Chongqing, China.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Chen
authors: Chongqing Stem Cell Therapy Engineering Technical Center, Chongqing, China.
authors: Tinyu
authors: T
authors: Li
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Yaping
authors: Y
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002452:Cell Count; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000187:drug effects; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005690:Galactose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin / Q000378:metabolism; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism; D059505:Telomere Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; C486320:Crisp3 protein, rat; D016207:Cytokines; D036145:Ginsenosides; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D064231:Nestin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors; C527784:Sox2 protein, rat; D019098:Telomerase; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; C035054:ginsenoside Rg1; D005690:Galactose