title: Neuroprotective effects of ginseng protein on PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the hippocampus of D-galactose/AlCl3 inducing rats model of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, with progressive memory loss, cognitive deterioration, and behavioral disorders. Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is widely used in China to treat various kinds of nervous system disorders. The study aimed to explore the therapeutic effect of ginseng protein (GP) on Alzheimer's disease and its correlation with the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to understand the mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of ginseng.
  
  
  METHODS
  The AD rat model was established by intraperitoneally injecting D-galactose [60mg/(kgd)] followed by intragastrically administering AlCl3 [40mg/(kgd)] for 90 days. From day 60, the GP groups were intragastrically administered with GP 0.05 or 0.1g/kg twice daily for 30 days. The ethology of rats was tested by Morris water maze test. The content of Aβ1-42 and p-tau in the hippocampus of rats was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of mRNAs and proteins of PI3K, Akt, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), Bcl-2, and Bax in the hippocampus was detected by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GP was found to significantly improve the memory ability of AD rats and prolong the times of crossing the platform and the percentage of residence time in the original platform quadrant of spatial probe test. GP also reduced the content of Aβ1-42 and p-tau and improved the mRNA and protein expression of PI3K, p-Akt/Akt, and Bcl-2/Bax in the hippocampus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GP could improve the memory ability and reduce the content of Aβ1-42 and p-tau in AD rats. The anti-AD effects of GP were in part mediated by PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activation.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical College, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian 116600, China.
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical College, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian 116600, China.
authors.forename: Tingguo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: College of pharmacy of Changchun University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130117, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical College, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian 116600, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical College, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian 116600, China.
authors.forename: Yanan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: Dalian Huaxin Physicochemical Testing Centre Ltd., Dalian 116600, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: College of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, China. Electronic address: zhang_jh@dlpu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jianghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical College, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian 116600, China. Electronic address: jingxianyang@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jingxian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000077410:Aluminum Chloride; D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002712:Chlorides; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018782:Maze Learning; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000187:drug effects*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D002712:Chlorides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010940:Plant Proteins; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42); D016875:tau Proteins; D000077410:Aluminum Chloride; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D005690:Galactose
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Ginseng; Neuroprotective; Protein