The protective effects of ginsenoside Rg1 against hypertension target-organ damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Although a number of medicines are available for the management of hypertension, the organ damage induced by hypertension is not resolved. The aim of this study was to investigate the protection of ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) against vascular remodeling and organ damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

METHODS:

Male SHR were treated with 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg Rg1 through intraperitoneal injection per day for 1 month. SHR or Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) receiving vehicle (saline) was used as control. Blood pressure detection and pathological stain, transmission electron microscope, immunohistochemical assay were used to elucidate the protection of Rg1.

RESULTS:

Blood pressures were not different between control SHR rats and Rg1 treated SHR rats, but Rg1 improved the aortic outward remodeling by lowering the lumen diameter and reducing the media thickness according the histopathological and ultrastructural detections. Rg1 also protected the retinal vessels against inward remodeling detected by immunohistochemical assay. Furthermore, Rg1 attenuated the target heart and kidney damage with improvement on cardiac and glomerular structure.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results suggested that Rg1 held beneficial effects on vascular structure and further protected against the organ-damage induced by hypertension. These findings also paved a novel and promising approach to the treatment of hypertensive complications.

• Authors: Hui Chen, Jun Yin, Yanpin Deng, Min Yang, Lingling Xu, Fukang Teng, Defang Li, Yufan Cheng, Sha Liu, Dong Wang, Tingting Zhang, Wanying Wu, Xuan Liu, Shuhong Guan, Baohong Jiang, Dean Guo
• Journal: BMC complementary and alternative medicine (BMC Complement Altern Med) Vol. 12 Pg. 53 (Apr 25 2012) ISSN: 1472-6882 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 22533478 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Ginsenosides
• Protective Agents
• ginsenoside Rg1

Topics

• Animals
• Blood Pressure (drug effects)
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (administration & dosage)
• Ginsenosides (administration & dosage)
• Heart (drug effects)
• Humans
• Hypertension (drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Kidney (drug effects)
• Male
• Organ Specificity
• Protective Agents (administration & dosage)
• Rats
• Rats, Inbred SHR
• Rats, Inbred WKY