ABSTRACT
Objective To investegate the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on the apoptosis related protein FLICE-inhibitory protein(FLIP),Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD)and Caspase-3 in the subatania nigra(SN)of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahyd-ropyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse models of Parkinson’s disease(PD), and to investigate the role of FADD and FLIP in the pathogenesis of PD and the protective effect of ginsenosides Rg1 on dopaminergic neurons.Methods 45 C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into control group,model group and ginsenoside Rg1 group (n=15).The mice in model group were injected with MPTP by intraperitoneal,the mice in Rg1 group were injected with ginsenoside Rg1 before injecting MPTP,and the mice in control group were injected with normal saline by intraperitoneal. The behavioral changes of the mice in various groups were observed, and immunohistochemistry and Western blotting methods were used to observe the expressions of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH),FADD,FLIP and Caspase-3 in substantia nigra of the mice.Results Compared with control group,the mice in model group presented with typical symptoms of PD, the TH-positive neurons in the subatania nigra was significantly reduced (P<0.01 ), the number of FADD, FLIP and Caspase-3 positive cells was significantly increased(P<0.01),and the cytoplasm was deeply stained;the protein expression levels of FADD,FLIP and Caspase-3 were significantly increased (P<0.01).Compared with model group,the PD symptoms of the mice in ginsenoside Rg1 group reduced, the number of TH-positive neurons was significantly increased, the number of positive cells of FLIP,FADD and Caspase-3 were significantly reduced(P<0.01),and the cytoplasm was lightly stained;the protein expression levels of FADD, FLIP and Caspase-3 were significantly reduced (P<0.01 ). Nonlinear correlation analysis found that there was a positive relationship between the number of FADD and Caspase-3 positive cells (r=0.791,P<0.05).Conclusion Ginsenoside Rg1 may play a neural protective effect dopaminergic on neurons by modulating the FADD and FLIP expressions in SN of PD model mice.