Ginsenoside Rb1 is a promising candidate for pulmonary hypertension prevention. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Preventive treatment with ginsenoside Rb1 ameliorates monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension in rats and involves store-operated calcium entry inhibition.
Pharm Biol. 2020 Dec ;58(1):1055-1063. PMID: 33096951
Rui-Xing Wang
CONTEXT: Ginsenoside Rb1, the main active ingredient of ginseng, exhibitsdepression of store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) and related vasoconstriction in pulmonary arteries derived from pulmonary hypertension (PH) rats. However, theeffects of ginsenoside Rb1 on PH remain unclear.
OBJECTIVE: This study explored the possibility of using ginsenoside Rb1 as anpreventive medication for type I PH, i.e., pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and potential mechanisms involving SOCE.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (170-180 g) were randomly divided into Control, MCT, and MCT + Rb1 groups ( = 20). Control rats received only saline injection. Rats in the MCT + Rb1 and MCT groups were intraperitoneally administered single doses of 50 mg/kg monocrotaline (MCT) combined with 30 mg/kg/day ginsenoside Rb1 or equivalent volumes of saline for 21 consecutive days. Subsequently, comprehensive parameters related to SOCE, vascular tone, histological changes and hemodynamics were measured.
RESULTS: Ginsenoside Rb1 reduced MCT-induced STIM1, TRPC1, and TRPC4 expression by 35.00, 31.96, and 32.24%, respectively, at the protein level. SOCE-related calcium entry and pulmonary artery contraction decreased by 162.6 nM and 71.72%. The mean pulmonary artery pressure, right ventricle systolic pressure, and right ventricular mass index decreased by 19.5 mmHg, 21.6 mmHg, and 39.50%. The wall thickness/radius ratios decreased by 14.67 and 17.65%, and the lumen area/total area ratios increased by 18.55 and 15.60% in intrapulmonary vessels with 51-100 and 101-150 μm o.d.
CONCLUSION: Ginsenoside Rb1, a promising candidate for PH prevention, inhibited SOCE and related pulmonary vasoconstriction, and relieved MCT-induced PAH in rats.