Ginsenoside Rd has a clear neuroprotective effect against ischemic stroke. We aimed to verify the neuroprotective effect of ginsenoside Rd in spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury and explore its anti-apoptotic mechanisms. We established a spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury model in rats through the occlusion of the abdominal aorta below the level of the renal artery for 1 hour. Successfully established models were injected intraperitoneally with 6.25, 12.5, 25 or 50 mg/kg per day ginsenoside Rd. Spinal cord morphology was observed at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days after spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury. Intraperitoneal injection of ginsenoside Rd in ischemia/reperfusion injury rats not only improved hindlimb motor function and the morphology of motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord, but it also reduced neuronal apoptosis. The optimal dose of ginsenoside Rd was 25 mg/kg per day and the optimal time point was 5 days after ischemia/reperfusion. Immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis showed ginsenoside Rd dose-dependently inhibited expression of pro-apoptotic Caspase 3 and down-regulated the expression of the apoptotic proteins ASK1 and JNK in the spinal cord of rats with spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury. These findings indicate that ginsenoside Rd exerts neuroprotective effects against spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury and the underlying mechanisms are achieved through the inhibition of ASK1-JNK pathway and the down-regulation of Caspase 3 expression.
[1]Jilin Univ, Hosp 1, Dept Cardiac Surg, Changchun 130033, Jilin Province, Peoples R China.
[2]Jilin Univ, Dept Orthoped, China Japan Union Hosp, Changchun 130033, Jilin Province, Peoples R China.
[3]Jilin Univ, Dept Gynecol Oncol, Hosp 1, Changchun 130033, Jilin Province, Peoples R China.
[4]Jilin Univ, Dept Toxicol, Sch Publ Hlth, Changchun 130033, Jilin Province, Peoples R China.
[5]Jilin Univ, Dept Histol & Embryol, Coll Basic Med Sci, Changchun 130033, Jilin Province, Peoples R China.
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