Analyzing the anti-ischemia-reperfusion injury effects of ginsenoside Rb1 mediated through the inhibition of p38 alpha MAPK

Recent studies have demonstrated that ginsenoside Rb1 protects the myocardium from ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the precise mechanisms for this protection have not been determined. This study aimed to determine whether the attenuation of I/R-induced myocardial injury by ginsenoside Rb1 (GS Rb1) is due to inhibition of p38 alpha mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Sprague-Dawley rats were distributed among 6 treatment groups: sham group; I/R group; p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 group (SB + I/R); GS Rb1 group (GS + I/R); p38 MAPK agonist anisomycin group (Ani + I/R); and the GS Rb1 + Ani group (GS + Ani + I/R). All of the anaesthetized rats, except those in the sham group, underwent an open-chest procedure that involved 30 min of myocardial ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion. Myocardial infarction size (MIS), caspase-3 activity, and levels of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in the myocardium were monitored. The expressions of p38 alpha MAPK, caspase-3, and TNF-alpha in the myocardium were assayed. GS Rb1 reduced MIS and attenuated caspase-3 activity and the levels of TNF-alpha in the myocardium. Protein expression of total p38 alpha MAPK was not significantly altered. In the Ani + I/R and I/R groups, the levels of phospho-p38 alpha MAPK were significantly increased compared with the sham group, and these increased levels were reduced with GS Rb1. Hemodynamic parameters were not significantly different between the GS + I/R and SB + I/R groups. GS Rb1 exerts an anti-apoptotic effect that protects against I/R injury by inhibiting p38 alpha MAPK phosphorylation, suggesting that GS Rb1-mediated protection requires the inhibition of p38 alpha MAPK.