Effects of Gintonin-Enriched Fraction on Methylmercury-Induced Neurotoxicity and Organ Methylmercury Elimination

Hyeon-Joong Kim, Sun-Hye Choi, Na-Eun Lee, Hee-Jung Cho, Hyewhon Rhim, Hyoung-Chun Kim, Sung-Hee Hwang and Seung-Yeol Nah
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Hyeon-Joong Kim: Ginsentology Research Laboratory and Department of Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
Sun-Hye Choi: Ginsentology Research Laboratory and Department of Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
Na-Eun Lee: Ginsentology Research Laboratory and Department of Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
Hee-Jung Cho: Ginsentology Research Laboratory and Department of Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
Hyewhon Rhim: Center for Neuroscience, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea
Hyoung-Chun Kim: Neuropsychopharmacology and Toxicology program, College of Pharmacy, Kangwon National University, Chunchon 24341, Korea
Sung-Hee Hwang: Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Health Sciences, Sangji University, Wonju 26339, Korea
Seung-Yeol Nah: Ginsentology Research Laboratory and Department of Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: Gintonin is a newly discovered ingredient of ginseng and plays an exogenous ligand for G protein-coupled lysophosphatidic acid receptors. We previously showed that gintonin exhibits diverse effects from neurotransmitter release to improvement of Alzheimer’s disease-related cognitive dysfunctions. However, previous studies did not show whether gintonin has protective effects against environmental heavy metal. We investigated the effects of gintonin-enriched fraction (GEF) on methylmercury (MeHg)-induced neurotoxicity and learning and memory dysfunction and on organ MeHg elimination. Using hippocampal neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) and mice we examined the effects of GEF on MeHg-induced hippocampal NPC neurotoxicity, on formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and on in vivo learning and memory functions after acute MeHg exposure. Treatment of GEF to hNPCs attenuated MeHg-induced neurotoxicity with concentration- and time-dependent manner. GEF treatment inhibited MeHg- and ROS inducer-induced ROS formations. Long-term treatment of GEF also improved MeHg-induced learning and memory dysfunctions. Oral administration of GEF decreased the concentrations of MeHg in blood, brain, liver, and kidney. This is the first report that GEF attenuated MeHg-induced in vitro and in vivo neurotoxicities through LPA (lysophosphatidic acids) receptor-independent manner and increased organ MeHg elimination. GEF-mediated neuroprotection might achieve via inhibition of ROS formation and facilitation of MeHg elimination from body.

Keywords: Ginseng; gintonin; methylmercury; ROS; mercury elimination; neuroprotection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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