Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
06:18
An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause
Published on: August 13, 2019
Estrogenic effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on APP processing in post-menopausal platelets
Chun Shi1, Ning Na, Xiaoming Zhu
1Department of Anatomy, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
Platelets
|March 1, 2012
Summary
Ginsenoside Rg1, a ginseng compound, promotes beneficial amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing through estrogenic activity. This suggests Rg1 may help prevent Alzheimer
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Ginsenoside Rg1, found in ginseng, has neuroprotective and phytoestrogenic properties.
- The effect of Rg1 on amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing and its link to estrogenic activity are unknown.
- Estrogen withdrawal is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether Ginsenoside Rg1 influences APP processing.
- To determine if this influence is mediated by Rg1's estrogenic activity.
- To explore the potential role of the MAPK/ERK pathway in Rg1's effect on APP metabolism.
Main Methods:
- Utilized human platelets as a model system.
- Assessed the cleavage of APP by α-secretase.
- Investigated the involvement of estrogen receptor (ER) signaling and the MAPK/ERK pathway.
Main Results:
- Ginsenoside Rg1 was shown to promote α-secretase cleavage of APP.
- This effect was mediated through Rg1's estrogenic activity.
- The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) pathway appears to be involved downstream of estrogen receptor (ER) signaling.
Conclusions:
- Ginsenoside Rg1 influences APP processing via its estrogenic activity in human platelets.
- The findings support Rg1's potential role in preventing Alzheimer's disease, particularly in postmenopausal women.
- Rg1's mechanism involves ER extranuclear signaling and the MAPK/ERK pathway.