BioSafety Research Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756, Korea.
J Ginseng Res. 2012 Jul;36(3):242-7. doi: 10.5142/jgr.2012.36.3.242.
Chondrocyte apoptosis has been recognized as an important factor in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which produces reactive oxygen species, reportedly induces apoptosis in chondrocytes. The ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1) is the principal component in ginseng and has been shown to have a variety of biological activities, such as anti-arthritis, anti-inflammation, and anti-tumor activities. In this study, we evaluated the effects of G-Rb1 on the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) and caspase-3 activity of chondrocyte apoptosis induced by H2O2. Cultured rat articular chondrocytes were exposed to H2O2 with or without G-Rb1 and assessed for viability, MPT, Bcl-xL/Bax expression, caspase-3 activity, and apoptosis. The co-treatment with G-Rb1 showed an inhibition of MPT, caspase-3 activity, and cell death. Additionally, the levels of the apoptotic protein Bax were significantly lower and the levels of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL were higher compared with H2O2 treatment alone. The results of this study demonstrate that G-Rb1 protects chondrocytes against H2O2-induced apoptosis, at least in part via the inhibition of MPT and caspase-3 activity. These results demonstrate that G-Rb1 is a potentially useful drug for the treatment of OA patients.
软骨细胞凋亡已被认为是骨关节炎（OA）发病机制中的一个重要因素。过氧化氢（H2O2）会产生活性氧，据报道其可诱导软骨细胞凋亡。人参皂苷 Rb1（GRb1）是人参的主要成分，具有多种生物学活性，如抗关节炎、抗炎和抗肿瘤活性。在这项研究中，我们评估了 G-Rb1 对 H2O2 诱导的软骨细胞凋亡中线粒体通透性转换（MPT）和 caspase-3 活性的影响。将培养的大鼠关节软骨细胞暴露于 H2O2 中，或同时暴露于 G-Rb1 和 H2O2 中，并评估其活力、MPT、Bcl-xL/Bax 表达、caspase-3 活性和凋亡情况。与单独 H2O2 处理相比，G-Rb1 的共同处理显示出对 MPT、caspase-3 活性和细胞死亡的抑制作用。此外，凋亡蛋白 Bax 的水平明显降低，而抗凋亡蛋白 Bcl-xL 的水平升高。这项研究的结果表明，G-Rb1 可保护软骨细胞免受 H2O2 诱导的凋亡，至少部分是通过抑制 MPT 和 caspase-3 活性。这些结果表明，G-Rb1 可能是治疗 OA 患者的一种有用药物。
