Ginsenoside Rg modulates vesicular dopamine storage and release during exocytosis revealed with single-vesicle electrochemistry.

Ginsenoside Rg, a tetracyclic triterpenoid derivative extracted from the roots of C. A. Meyer, can enhance learning and memory and improve cognitive impairment. However, whether or how it affects vesicular dopamine storage and its release during exocytosis remains unknown. By using single-vesicle electrochemistry, we for the first time find out that Rg not only upregulates vesicular dopamine content but also increases exocytosis frequency and modulates dopamine release during exocytosis in PC12 cells, which may relate to the activation of protein kinases, causing a series of biological cascades. This finding offers the possible link between Rg and vesicular chemical storage and exocytotic release, which is of significance for understanding the nootropic role of Rg from the perspective of neurotransmission.