The Total Saponins of Panax japonicus Improved the Apoptosis of Natural Aging Rats
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Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the regulation of saponins from Panax japonicus (SPJ) on endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins in natural aging rats and the intervention on neuronal apoptosis. Male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: 6-month old group, 24-month old group and SPJ-treated groups with the doses of 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg. Western blot was used to detect the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins (GRP78, p-PERK, p-EIF2α, ATF4, ATF6, XBP1) and apoptosis-related proteins (p-JNK, CHOP, Bcl-2, Bax) in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of SD rats. The results showed that ,compared with the 6-month old group, the protein expression levels of GRP78, p-PERK, p-EIF2α, ATF4, ATF6, p-IRE1, XBP1and Bcl-2/Bax were noticeably reduced by 80% or 59%, 82% or 78%, 79% or 77%, 94% or 74%, 72% or 66%, 78% or 81%, 82% or 71%, 90% or 92% in the cerebral cortex or hippocampus of 24-month old group rats, respectively. And, p-JNK/JNK and CHOP increased by 1 or 1.72，3.33 or 1.33 times, respectively. In addition, these changes were reversed after different dozes of SPJ treatment. In summary，SPJ treatment can maintain endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis in brain tissue by up-regulating the levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins and anti-apoptosis proteins, and down-regulating levels of pro-apoptosis-related proteins, hence to reduce neuronal apoptosis of aging rats.
