TY - JOUR
T1 - Korean Red Ginseng mitigates spinal demyelination in a model of acute multiple sclerosis by downregulating p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-κB signaling pathways
AU - Lee, Min Jung
AU - Chang, Byung Joon
AU - Oh, Seikwan
AU - Nah, Seung Yeol
AU - Cho, Ik Hyun
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by a grant from the Korean Society of Ginseng and the Korea Ginseng Cooperation (2013–2014) and by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology , Republic of Korea (NRF- 2014R1A2A1A11051240 ). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017
PY - 2018/10
Y1 - 2018/10
N2 - Background: The potential therapeutic values of Korean Red Ginseng extract (KRGE) in autoimmune disorders of nervous system have not been fully investigated. Methods: We used an acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis animal model of multiple sclerosis and determined the effects and mechanism of KRGE on spinal myelination. Results: Pretreatment with KRGE (100 mg/kg, orally) for 10 days before immunization with myelin basic protein (MBP)68–82 peptide exerted a protective effect against demyelination in the spinal cord, with inhibited recruitment and activation of immune cells including microglia, decreased mRNA expression of detrimental inflammatory mediators (interleukin-6, interferon-γ, and cyclooxygenase-2), but increased mRNA expression of protective inflammatory mediators (insulin-like growth factor β1, transforming growth factor β, and vascular endothelial growth factor-1). These results were associated with significant downregulation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-κB signaling pathways in microglia/macrophages, T cells, and astrocytes. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that KRGE alleviates spinal demyelination in acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis through inhibiting the activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase/nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, KRGE might be used as a new therapeutic for autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, although further investigation is needed.
AB - Background: The potential therapeutic values of Korean Red Ginseng extract (KRGE) in autoimmune disorders of nervous system have not been fully investigated. Methods: We used an acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis animal model of multiple sclerosis and determined the effects and mechanism of KRGE on spinal myelination. Results: Pretreatment with KRGE (100 mg/kg, orally) for 10 days before immunization with myelin basic protein (MBP)68–82 peptide exerted a protective effect against demyelination in the spinal cord, with inhibited recruitment and activation of immune cells including microglia, decreased mRNA expression of detrimental inflammatory mediators (interleukin-6, interferon-γ, and cyclooxygenase-2), but increased mRNA expression of protective inflammatory mediators (insulin-like growth factor β1, transforming growth factor β, and vascular endothelial growth factor-1). These results were associated with significant downregulation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-κB signaling pathways in microglia/macrophages, T cells, and astrocytes. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that KRGE alleviates spinal demyelination in acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis through inhibiting the activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase/nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, KRGE might be used as a new therapeutic for autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, although further investigation is needed.
KW - Korean Red Ginseng
KW - demyelination
KW - experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
KW - nuclear factor-κB
KW - p-38 mitogen-activated protein kinase
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85020476164&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jgr.2017.04.013
DO - 10.1016/j.jgr.2017.04.013
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85020476164
SN - 1226-8453
VL - 42
SP - 436
EP - 446
JO - Journal of Ginseng Research
JF - Journal of Ginseng Research
IS - 4
ER -