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She L, Sun J, Xiong L, Li A, Li L, Wu H, Ren J, Wang W, Liang G, Zhao X. Ginsenoside RK1 improves cognitive impairments and pathological changes in Alzheimer's disease via stimulation of the AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway. Phytomedicine 2024; 122:155168. [PMID: 37925892 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is complex, resulting in unsatisfactory effects of single-target therapeutic drugs. Accumulation evidence suggests that low toxicity multi-target drugs may play effective roles in AD. Ginseng is the root and rhizome of Panax ginseng Meyer, which can be used not only as herbal medicine but also as a functional food to support body functions. Ginsenoside RK1 (RK1), obtained from ginseng plants through high-temperature treatment, has antiapoptotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effects and these events are involved in the development of AD. So, we believe that RK1 may be an effective drug for the treatment of AD. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE We aimed to investigate the potential protective effects and mechanisms of RK1 in AD. METHODS Neuronal damage was detected by MTT assay, LDH assay, immunofluorescence and western blotting. Oxidative stress was measured by JC-1 staining, reactive oxygen species (ROS) staining, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malonaldehyde (MDA). The cognitive deficit was measured through morris water maze (MWM) and novel object recognition (NOR) tests. RESULTS RK1 attenuated Aβ-induced apoptosis, restored mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and reduced intracellular levels of ROS in both PC12 cells and primary cultured neurons. In vivo, RK1 significantly improved cognitive deficits and mitigated AD-like pathological features. Notably, RK1 demonstrated superior efficacy compared to the positive control drug, donepezil. Mechanistically, our study elucidates that RK1 modulates the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its downstream target, NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), leading to the optimization of mitochondrial membrane potential, reduction of ROS levels, and mitigation of AD-like pathology. It's noteworthy that blocking the AMPK signaling pathway attenuated the protective effects of RK1. CONCLUSION RK1 demonstrates superior efficacy in alleviating cognitive deficits and mitigating pathological changes compared to donepezil. These findings suggest the potential utility of RK1-based therapies in the development of treatments for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyu She
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, China
| | - Jinfeng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, China
| | - Li Xiong
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Ankang Li
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Yongkang, Zhejiang 321399, China
| | - Liwei Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Haibin Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China; Zhejiang TCM Key Laboratory of Pharmacology and Translational Research of Natural Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Juan Ren
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China; Zhejiang TCM Key Laboratory of Pharmacology and Translational Research of Natural Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Yongkang, Zhejiang 321399, China
| | - Guang Liang
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China; Zhejiang TCM Key Laboratory of Pharmacology and Translational Research of Natural Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China.
| | - Xia Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China; Zhejiang TCM Key Laboratory of Pharmacology and Translational Research of Natural Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China.
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