Ginsenoside Rg1 promotes proliferation and neurotrophin expression of olfactory ensheathing cells

Abstract

Transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) is currently considered to be one of the most promising repair strategies for human spinal cord injury. However, the factors that regulate OECs are still poorly understood. Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1), the phytosterol from Panax ginseng, is a potent neuroprotective agent that promotes axonal regeneration. The aim of this study is to determine whether Rg1 would influence the biological activity of OECs. Primary cultured OECs from the olfactory bulb of neonatal rats were treated with Rg1 of various concentrations and durations. Using MTT and bromodeoxyuridine assays, we found that Rg1 significantly promoted cell proliferation, with an optimal concentration of 40 μg/ml of Rg1 at 72 h. In addition, RT-PCR and ELISA assays showed that Rg1 could upregulate the mRNA expression and secretion of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and nerve growth factor. These results suggest that Rg1 may have a great potential in OEC therapy.

Keywords:

• olfactory ensheathing cells
• ginsenoside Rg1
• proliferation
• brain-derived neurotrophic factor
• glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor
• nerve growth factor

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Scientific Research and Innovation Project from Jiangsu Province of China (No. ZY320717). We thank Prof. Huan-Xiang Zhang from the Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering Laboratory of Soochow University for technical assistance.

Notes

^†Both authors contributed equally to this work.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zheng-Feng Lu

† †Both authors contributed equally to this work.