Proteomic Analysis of the Effect of Korean Red Ginseng in the Striatum of a Parkinson’s Disease Mouse Model

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) suppresses dopaminergic neuronal death in the brain of a Parkinson’s disease (PD) mouse model, but the mechanism is still elusive. Using a 2-dimensional electrophoresis technique, we investigated whether KRG can restore the changes in protein expressions in the striatum (ST) of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-injected mice. Male C57BL/6 mice (9 weeks old) were injected with 20 mg/kg MPTP intraperitoneally four times at 2-h intervals. KRG (100 mg/kg) was orally administered once a day for 3 days from one hour after the first MPTP injection. Two hours after the third KRG administration a pole test was performed to evaluate motor function, after which the brains were immediately harvested. Survival of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway and protein expression in the ST were measured by immunohistochemistry and 2-dimensional electrophoresis. KRG suppressed MPTP-induced behavioral dysfunction and neuronal death in the nigrostriatal pathway. Moreover, 30 proteins changed by MPTP and KRG in the ST were identified and shown to be related to glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and PD. KRG has neuroprotective effects against MPTP toxicity and alleviates protein expression profiles related to enhancing energy metabolism in the ST of MPTP-treated mice.

Natural Products and Their Bioactive Compounds: Neuroprotective Potentials against Neurodegenerative Diseases

“…In an animal model of Parkinson's disease, Korean red ginseng could improve the behavioral impairment of mice in the pole test, inhibit dopaminergic neuronal death, and decrease cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) and p25 6 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine expressions as well as increase p35 expression in the substantia nigra and striatum of MPTP-induced mice [146]. Further study was done by the same group reporting that Korean red ginseng restored the MPTP-induced proteomic changes in the striatum [147]. ese changes were related to the energy metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and neurodegenerative diseases.…”

Active ginseng components in cognitive impairment: Therapeutic potential and prospects for delivery and clinical study

“…Shi-Zhen Li recorded anxiolytic, antidepressant and cognition-enhancing effects of ginseng in the most comprehensive pre-modern herbal text (Ben Cao Gang Mu), which was compiled during the Ming Dynasty in China [ 15 ]. Recent research shown that ginseng and its active components possible have effects against neurodegenerative diseases and stroke [ 16 – 19 ]. Additionally, in a mechanistic study using rat model [ 20 ], saponins from Panax japonicus (also known as Japanese ginseng) attenuated age-related neuroinflammation by regulating signaling pathways of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB).…”

Proteomic change by Korean Red Ginseng in the substantia nigra of a Parkinson's disease mouse model

“…When we classified the eight proteins by function, they were found to be associated with the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases and neuronal survival, and VDAC2, ACOT7, and PKM were related to energy metabolism in cells. Interestingly, changed proteins in the previous study were associated with energy metabolism, mitochondrial respiratory chain, and neuroprotection [11] . These results indicate that KRG can suppress MPTP-induced neuronal death and metabolic impairment by regulating the proteins.…”

“…Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is steamed and dried for lengthy preservation, which results in conversion of some of the chemical profiles of ginsenosides [6] . Previous studies have shown that ginseng and KRG suppressed 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium-induced cell death in PC12 [7] , [8] and SH-SY5Y [9] cells, and that oral administration of KRG extract protected dopaminergic cell death in the nigrostriatal pathway from MPTP toxicity [10] , [11] and improved cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer's disease [12] . Moreover, ginsenoside Rg1 attenuated MPTP-induced behavioral impairment and dopaminergic neuronal death through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway [13] and by reducing neuroinflammation [14] , whereas the ginsenoside Rd prevented 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridium-induced cell death in SH-SY5Y cells [15] , and ginsenoside Rb1 suppressed α-synuclein aggregation and toxicity [16] , indicating that KRG has the potential to alleviate PD symptoms; however, the mechanism is not fully understood.…”