title: Red ginseng extract ameliorates autoimmune arthritis via regulation of STAT3 pathway, Th17/Treg balance, and osteoclastogenesis in mice and human.
abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic joint inflammation. Red ginseng is a steamed and dried Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, which has been used as alternative medicine for thousands of years. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of red ginseng extracts (RGE) on autoimmune arthritis in mice and humans and to delineate the underlying mechanism. RGE was orally administered three times a week to mice with arthritis. Oral administration of RGE markedly ameliorated clinical arthritis score and histologically assessed joint inflammation in mice with CIA. A significant reduction in STAT3 phosphorylation and a decrease in the number of Th17 cells were observed with RGE treatment. There was also a marked reduction in RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis with treatment of RGE. The inhibitory effect of RGE on Th17 differentiation and osteoclastogenesis observed in mice was also confirmed in the subsequent experiments performed using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Our findings provide the first evidence that RGE can regulate Th17 and reciprocally promote Treg cells by inhibiting the phosphorylation of STAT3. Therefore, RGE can ameliorate arthritis in mice with CIA by targeting pathogenic Th17 and osteoclast differentiation, suggesting a novel therapy for treatment of RA.
authors.affiliation: The Rheumatism Research Center, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: JooYeon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jhun
authors.affiliation: The Rheumatism Research Center, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea ; Divison of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: The Rheumatism Research Center, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Kyeong
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Byun
authors.affiliation: The Rheumatism Research Center, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: The Rheumatism Research Center, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: The Rheumatism Research Center, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea ; Divison of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: The Rheumatism Research Center, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea ; Divison of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Ki
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.affiliation: The Rheumatism Research Center, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea ; Divison of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Hyeon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: The Rheumatism Research Center, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea ; Divison of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Su
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: The Rheumatism Research Center, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea ; Divison of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ho-Youn
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: The Rheumatism Research Center, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea ; Divison of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Hwan
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1711-2060
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: The Rheumatism Research Center, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea ; Divison of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea ; Conversant Research Consortium in Immunologic Disease, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Korea 505 Banpo-Dong, Seocho-Ku, Seoul 137-040, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mi-La
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism*; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor