Individual and combined use of ginsenoside F2 and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside attenuates H2O2-induced apoptosis in HEK-293 cells via the NF-κB pathway

Abstract

Ginsenosides have been regarded as the major active components of ginseng. Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) is one of the best-known and investigated anthocyanins. Individual and combined protective effects of ginsenoside F2 and C3G against H₂O₂-induced apoptosis and the underlying mechanisms were explored in HEK-293 cells. The protein expression of cleaved caspase-3, Bcl-2, Bax, and cleaved PARP, and the levels of caspases-6, caspases-9, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and mitochondria membrane potential (MMP) were measured as the apoptosis associated markers. The phosphorylation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 was assessed by western blotting and qRT-PCR. When HEK-293 cells were stimulated with H₂O₂, individual F2 and C3G pre-incubation increased MMP, suppressed the leakage of LDH, significantly decreased the activities of caspases-6 and caspases-9, down-regulated the protein expression of cleaved caspase-3, Bax, and cleaved PARP, up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2, and down-regulated the protein and mRNA expressions of NF-κB p65. The synergistic effects were present in the combination F2 and C3G. The underlying mechanism of F2 and C3G in anti-apoptosis was in part relevant to the regulation of the mitochondria-mediated cell apoptotic pathway and the NF-κB pathway. The co-administration of F2 and C3G exhibited possible synergistic effects on the inhibition of H₂O₂-induced apoptosis.