Effect of Ginsenoside Rg1 on the intervertebral disc degeneration rats and the degenerative pulposus cells and its mechanism

• Main Authors: Lei Yu, Yingjie Hao, Cheng Peng, Panke Zhang, Jian Zhu, Yingchun Cai, Guangduo Zhu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-03-01
• Series: Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
• Subjects: Ginsenoside Rg; Intervertebral disc degeneration; Nucleus pulposus cells; Extracellular matrix; Wnt/β-catenin pathway
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332219353600

Objective: To explore the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) in vivo and in vitro and its mechanism. Methods: 60 rats were underwent surgery to construct rat models of IVDD and divided in the sham group, model group and gradient G-Rg1 groups (10 mg/kg/d, 20 mg/kg/d and 40 mg/kg/d).The change of histology was observed by HE staining, the water content and the expression of β-catenin in IVD were detected. Rat nucleus pulposus cells(NPCs) were isolated from IVDD rats and divided in D-NPCs group, and gradient G-Rg1 groups(20 μg/ml, 50 μg/ml and 100 μg/ml).The cell proliferation activity, cell apoptosis rate,the expression of proteins related to ECM and Wnt/β-catenin were detected respectively, Finally the agonist of Wnt/β-catenin pathway LiCl was used for reversed experiments. Results: In vivo, G-Rg1 treatment could improve the structural disorganization, low water content, NPCs number and aggrecan and collagenⅡ expression in IVD and down-regulate the expression of β-catenin. In vitro NPCs, G-Rg1 treatment could improve the low cell proliferation, high apoptosis rate and low expression of aggrecan and collagenⅡ in degenerative NPCs in a dose-dependent manner.G-Rg1 treatment could down-regulate the expression of proteins related to β-catenin signal and LiCl could reverse the increase of cell proliferation and ECM synthesis, decrease of apoptosis of degenerative NPCs induced by G-Rg1. Conclusion: G-Rg1 could promote ECM synthesis of degenerative NPCs and inhibiting its apoptosis, improve the IVDD via inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.