The positive effects of Ginsenoside Rg1 upon the hematopoietic microenvironment in a D-Galactose-induced aged rat model

Research article

Wenxu Hu¹, Pengwei Jing², Lu Wang², Yanyan Zhang², Jiadao Yong² and Yaping Wang^2*

• *
  Corresponding author: Yaping Wang [email protected]

Author Affiliations

¹ Department of stomatology and oral and maxillofacial surgery, Affiliated YongChuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 402160, China

² Department of Histology and Embryology, Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Yixueyuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China

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BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2015, 15:119 
doi:10.1186/s12906-015-0642-3

Published: 15 April 2015

Abstract (provisional)

Background Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) is one of the most active ingredients in Panax ginseng
and has been proven to have anti-oxidative and anti-aging properties. However, there
have been few reports concerning the anti-aging effects of Rg1 on the hematopoietic
microenvironment and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Methods Thirty Sprague-Dawley
rats were randomly divided into four groups (control, D-galactose (D-gal)-administration,
Rg1-treatment, and D-gal-administration?+?Rg1-treatment groups). After D-gal and Rg1
treatment, BMSCs were extracted from femoral bone marrow for culture. After three
passages, BMSCs were tested by senescence-associated ?-galactosidase (SA-?-gal) staining,
flow cytometric cell cycle phase distribution assay, CCK-8 cell proliferation assay,
oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species [ROS], superoxide dismutase [SOD], and malondialdehyde
[MDA]) assays, inflammatory marker (interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor
(TNF)-?) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), stem cell factor (SCF) ELISA,
and senescence-associated protein (p16, p21, and p53) Western blotting. Results Compared
to the D-gal-administration group, the D-gal-administration?+?Rg1-treatment group
showed significantly decreased levels of SA-?-gal?+?cell %, ROS, MDA, inflammatory
marker expression, and senescence-associated protein expression as well as significantly
increased levels of S-phase %, cell proliferation, SOD activity, and SCF expression.
Compared to controls, the Rg-1-treatment group displayed significantly reduced levels
of SA-?-gal?+?cell %, G1 phase %, ROS, MDA, inflammatory marker expression, senescence-associated
protein expression, and SCF expression as well as significantly increased levels of
S-phase %, cell proliferation, and SOD activity. Conclusions Rg1 improves the anti-aging
ability of hematopoietic microenvironment through enhancing the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory
capacities of BMSCs.