Planta Med 2002; 68(11): 971-974
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-35659
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Ginsenosides Inhibit EGF-Induced Proliferation of Renal Proximal Tubule Cells via Decrease of c-fos and c-jun Gene Expression in vitro

Ho Jae Han1 , Byeong Cheol Yoon1 , Sang Hern Lee2 , Soo Hyun Park1 , Ji Yeong Park1 , Young Joon Oh1 , Yun Jung Lee1
  • 1Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hormone Research Center, Chonnam National University, Kwangju 500-757, Korea
  • 2College of Veterinary Medicine & School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Suwon, Korea
Further Information

Publication History

Received: March 8, 2002

Accepted: June 8, 2002

Publication Date:
26 November 2002 (online)

Abstract

Recent epidemiological studies have demonstrated that ginseng intake is associated with a reduced risk for environmentally related cancers. However, the effects of ginsenosides on the proliferation of renal proximal tubule cells have not yet elucidated. This study investigated the effect of total ginsenosides, protopanaxatriol (PT) saponin, and protopanaxadiol (PD) saponin fraction on epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced renal cell proliferation and, furthermore, c-fos and c-jun gene expression. In the present study, total ginsenosides (10-6 g/ml) completely blocked EGF-induced DNA synthesis and cell growth. In contrast, the PT and PD fractions partially blocked it. In addition, the EGF-induced increase of c-fos and c-jun gene expression was completely blocked by total ginsenosides and partially by PT and PD saponins. In conclusion, ginsenosides, in part, inhibit EGF-induced cell proliferation via decrease of c-fos and c-jun gene expression in primary cultured rabbit renal proximal tubular cells (PTCs).

Abbreviations

EGF:epidermal growth factor

PD:protopanaxadiol

PT:protopanaxatriol

PTCs:primary cultured renal proximal tubule cells

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Dr. Ho Jae Han

Department of Veterinary Physiology

College of Veterinary Medicine

Chonnam National University, Kwangju 500-757, Korea

Phone: 82-62-530-2831

Fax: 82-62-530-2809

Email: hjhan@chonnam.ac.kr