Ginsenoside Rb1 protects against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by downregulating the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 and p-Ask-1 levels
Authors: Boyin Zhang
Dongxu Zhao
Hongping Yuan
Minglei Zhang
Chunyang Meng
Han Wu
Journal: Experimental and Molecular Pathology (2018)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: Bax/Bcl-2 ratio; Ginsenoside Rb1; apoptosis; caspase-3; p-Ask-1
Affiliations: Department of Orthopedic, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, No.126 Xiantai Street, Changchun 130033, China., Department of Nephrology, The fourth hospital of Jilin University, No.2643 Dongfeng Avenue, Changchun, Jilin Province 130033, China., Department of Orthopedic, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, No.126 Xiantai Street, Changchun 130033, China. Electronic address: .

Abstract:  The aim of this study was to confirm the effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on neural cell apoptosis in the spinal cord of rats with spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury (SCII) and to explore its potential mechanisms. A total of 100 healthy adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control (n = 10), sham-operated (n = 10), SCII model (n = 40), and ginsenoside Rb1-treated groups (n = 40). Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) scale was used to examine rat hindlimb locomotor function. Nissl and Tunnel staining were used to observe neural cell injury and apoptosis, respectively, in the spinal cord of rats with SCII. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect the expression of Bax and Bcl-2. The levels of caspase-3 and phosphorylated Ask-1 (p-Ask-1) were detected by western blotting. Ginsenoside Rb1 prevented neural cell apoptosis in the spinal cord and improved hindlimb locomotor dysfunction of rats (P &lt; .05). Moreover, SCII-induced upregulation of caspase-3 and p-Ask-1 levels and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were significantly decreased by ginsenoside Rb1 (P &lt; .05). The protective effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on neural cells in the spinal cord of rats with SCII were mediated by the ginsenoside Rb1-induced downregulation of caspase-3 and p-Ask-1 levels and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. 

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 Fig 2.  Images of Tunnel-stained rat spinal cord tissue. The spinal cord tissues of rats in the normal control, sham-operated, SCII model, and ginsenoside Rb1-treated groups were obtained as described in Materials and Methods. A: Representative image of the normal control group (n=10); B: Representative image of the sham-operated group (n=10); C, E, G, I: Representative images of the sham-operated groups (n=10 each) at day 1, 3, 5, and 7, respectively. D, F, H, J: Representative images of the ginsenoside Rb1-treated groups (n=10 each) at day 1, 3, 5, and 7, respectively. All images are displayed with scale bar: 100 u03bcm Some duplications and overlaps are marked. ![file] , 
 Fig 1.  Images of Nissl-stained rat spinal cord tissue. The spinal cord tissues of rats in the normal control, sham-operated, SCII model, and ginsenoside Rb1-treated groups were obtained as described in Materials and Methods. A: Representative image of the normal control group (n=10); B: Representative image of the sham-operated group (n=10); C, E, G, I: Representative images of the sham-operated groups (n=10 each) at day 1, 3, 5, and 7, respectively. D, F, H, J: Representative images of the ginsenoside Rb1-treated groups (n=10 each) at day 1, 3, 5, and 7, respectively. Rotated to landscape format for ease of examination. Overlap marked. ![file] Fig 4A.  Expression of caspase-3 and p-Ask-1 detected by western blotting. The spinal cord tissues of rats in the normal control, sham-operated, SCII model, and ginsenoside Rb1-treated groups were obtained as described in Materials and Methods. A: Representative images of objective protein bands. ![file] Bands are more similar than one would expect, after reflection or rescaling, with the same internal markings of dots and streaks. Here I have marked up the caspase-3 band, leaving the other bands as an exercise for the reader. ![file] ,