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Effects of mRg2, a Mixture of Ginsenosides Containing 60% Rg2, on the Ultraviolet B–Induced DNA Repair Synthesis and Apoptosis in NIH3T3 Cells

Institute of Basic Natural Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chonbuk, South Korea

Seol Hee Han
Don Young Kim

Division of Biological Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chonbuk, South Korea

Jeong Chae Lee

Research Center of Bioactive Materials and Institute of Oral Bioscience, Chonbuk National University, Chonju, Chonbuk, South Korea

Hack Soo Kim
Bo Hyeon Kim

Somang Cosmetics R&D Center, Incheon, South Korea

Jung Sup Lee

Department of Biotechnology, Chosun University, Kwangju, South Korea

Eun Hee Hwang

Department of Food and Nutrition, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chonbuk, South Korea

Jong Kun Park

Division of Biological Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chonbuk, South Korea

Correspondence: Address correspondence to Professor Jong Kun Park, Division of Biological Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chonbuk, 570-749, South Korea. E-mail:jkpark{at}wonkwang.ac.kr

Ginseng has been used worldwidely as a traditional medicine of Asian countries for treatment of various diseases including cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of ginseng saponin mRg2, a mixture of ginsenosides containing 60% Rg2, on the repair and apoptosis of ultraviolet B (UVB)-exposed NIH3T3 cells. When cells were exposed to UVB and then incubated with normal growth medium for 48 h, cell viability, as determined by trypan blue exclusion assay decreased to about 25%. However, when mRg2 was included in the postincubation medium, the UVB-induced loss of cell viability was significantly reduced as compared with that postincubated in normal growth medium. 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining showed that postincubation of the UVB-exposed cells in medium containing mRg2 significantly reduced the apoptotic nuclear fragmentation. Interestingly, when cells were preincubated with mRg2 for 24 h and then exposed to various doses of UV, the amount of repair synthesis significantly increased as compared with those in cells exposed to UVB alone. Western blot analysis indicated that the mRg2 postincubation after UVB exposure potentiated the level of p53 and p21. The level of Triton nonextractable proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) also remained elevated by mRg2 postincubation. All these results suggest that mRg2 protects cells against UVB-induced genotoxicity by increasing DNA repair and decreasing apoptosis, in possible association with the modulation of protein levels involved in cell cycle arrest or progression.

Key Words: Apoptosis • DNA Repair • Ginseng Saponin • Rg2 • UVB Light

International Journal of Toxicology, Vol. 26, No. 2, 151-158 (2007)
DOI: 10.1080/10915810701226370


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