Biomedical Research

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of ultrasound-targeted and micro-bubble destructionmediated ginsenoside Rg1 on glaucomatous optic nerve damage in rats.

Methods: 30 SD rats were selected as the study objects and randomly divided into the normal control group (n=10), the model group (n=10) and the treatment group (n=10). The model rats with glaucomatous optic nerve damage were treated with ultrasound-targeted and micro-bubble destructionmediated ginsenoside Rg1. The level of apoptotic genes (C-fos, p53, Smac), cytokines (BDNF, NRG-1, SDF-1), aquaporins and ion channels (AQP-1, CIC-3, CR) in the retina of each group was measured and compared.

Results: The contents of C-fos, p53 and Smac mRNA in the model group were obviously higher than those in the normal control group (p<0.05); The contents of BDNF, NRG-1 in the model group were significantly lower than those in the normal control group, while the level of SDF-1 was higher than that of control group. The levels of BDNF and NRG-1 in the treatment group were higher than those in model group, whereas the level of SDF-1 was greatly lower than that in the model group. When it comes to the model group, its AQP-1 was evidently lower than that of the normal control group, while its levels of CIC-3 and CR were higher than those in the normal control group. The AQP-1 mRNA level in the treatment group was obviously higher than that in the model group and the CIC-3 and CR mRNA contents were lower than those in the model group.

Conclusion: Ultrasound-targeted and micro-bubble destruction-mediated ginsenoside Rg1 can inhibit the apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells and the expression of such aquaporins and ion channels as AQP-1, CIC-3 and CB. Therefore, it is effective in treating glaucomatous optic nerve damage in rats.

Author(s): Yusheng Ma, Fengwei Ma, Guofeng Li
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