title: Anti-inflammatory function of ginsenoside Rg1 on alcoholic hepatitis through glucocorticoid receptor related nuclear factor-kappa B pathway.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ginseng is the dried root of Panax ginseng C.A. Mayer. Since ancient times, ginseng has been used as one kind of treatment drug or tonic in China and even other eastern countries like Korea and Japan. Pharmacological active chemical ingredients and its extract of ginseng are a mixture of triterpenoid saponins, collectively called ginsenosides. Among them, ginsenoside Rg1 is the most pharmacological active one.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Based on prior experimental results and the understanding of alcoholic hepatitis, the major aim of this study is to investigate whether Rg1 is beneficial in a rodent model mimic alcoholic hepatic injury associated with binge drinking and explore the underlying possible mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  C57BL/6 mice were given oral consumption of 6g/kg alcohol 1h after treated with Rg1 (10, 20 and 40mg/kg) or dexamethasone (1mg/kg) for 9 consecutive days. Biochemical analyses were performed and liver fragments were processed for microscopy, immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to our data, Rg1 treatment significantly reversed the high mortality rate induced by alcohol consumption and also alleviated liver impairment as evidenced by the decrease of serum parameters. Meanwhile, histological and ultrastructural analysis of alcoholic groups showed hepatocellular impairment but restored in Rg1-treated groups. Overproductive inflammatory cytokines were also suppressed by Rg1 in alcohol-intoxicated mouse livers. In addition, changes of GR related NF-κB pathway, including phospho-IκB-α, were also modulated to normal levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that Rg1 might promote GR mediating the repression of NF-κB and inhibit the inflammatory reactions in alcoholic hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410208, China.
authors.forename: Shifeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Jingwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Congyuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Heng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Meijin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Jinfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Institute of Chinese Medicine & Pharmaceutical Science, Nanning 530022, China.
authors.forename: Guining
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Beijing Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Beijing 100039, China. Electronic address: ly8191@sina.com.
authors.forename: Yueting
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China. Electronic address: chennh@imm.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Naihong
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D005894:Panax; D018517:Plant Roots; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D036145:Ginsenosides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D020011:Protective Agents; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; C035054:ginsenoside Rg1
keywords: Alcoholic hepatitis; Anti-inflammation; Ginsenoside Rg1; Glucocorticoid receptor; NF-κB pathway