Abstract P110: Standardized Ginseng Extract Protects Rat Hearts From Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury via GR/PI3K/Akt/eNOS Signaling

Background: Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is a popular medicinal herb used in Chinese community for over 2000 years. Previous studies have confirmed the cardioprotective effects of ginseng. However, the mechanism for such protection remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether acute oral administration of a standardized ginseng extract (RSE) could protect rat heart against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and whether such protection was related to nitric oxide (NO) generation and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling. Methods: Rats were subjected to 30 min ischemia followed by 90 min reperfusion by occluding and reopening of left anterior descending coronary artery. RSE that was chemically standardized by HPLC fingerprint was orally given to rats 60 min before ischemia. Some rats also received GR inhibitor RU468 (30 mg/kg), endothelial NO synthase (eNOs) inhibitor L-NAME (30 mg/kg), PI3K inhibitor LY294002 (0.25 mg/kg), Akt inhibitor IV (4 mg/kg), or transcriptional inhibitor acti...