Ginsenoside Rk3 alleviates radiation nephropathy by attenuating apoptosis and inflammatory response

Radiation nephropathy (RN) is a common complication of radiotherapy for abdominal or pelvic cancers, with no ideal treatment currently available. Ginsenoside Rk3, a rare ginseng saponin, possesses broad biological activities; however, its role in RN remained unclear. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of ginsenoside Rk3 against RN and to elucidate its underlying mechanism.

A renal injury model was established in C57BL/6 mice using cobalt-60 γ-irradiation. The mice were administered ginsenoside Rk3 via daily oral gavage for 14 days. Renal histological changes were assessed using immunofluorescence staining. To identify key therapeutic targets, RNA sequencing was combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses. The kidney protective mechanism mediated by ginsenoside Rk3 was clarified by measuring apoptotic levels in NRK-52E cells using flow cytometry.

Ginsenoside Rk3 treatment ameliorated radiation-induced renal impairment and significantly reduced renal fibrosis and inflammation through the tumor protein p53 (p53) signaling pathway. It was demonstrated that ginsenoside Rk3 markedly reduced apoptosis in NRK-52E cells via this mechanism. These findings indicated that targeting the p53 signaling pathway represents a viable therapeutic strategy for preventing radiation-induced kidney injury. Furthermore, regulation of the transcription factor myelocytomatosis oncogene (MYC) and subsequent promotion of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) expression were identified as key events downstream of p53 signaling.

This study revealed that ginsenoside Rk3 effectively alleviated RN by inhibiting the p53/MYC/STAT1 and NF-κB signaling pathways. These findings elucidate its mechanism of action and provide new insights for future research.