Ginsenoside Rg1 protects rat cardiomyocyte from hypoxia/reoxygenation oxidative injury via antioxidant and intracellular calcium homeostasis.

Ginsenoside Rg1 is a major active ingredient of Panax notoginseng radix which has demonstrated a number of pharmacological actions including a cardioprotective effect in vivo. This study investigated the protective effect and mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 in cardiomyocytes hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model. Pretreatment with ginsenoside Rg1 (60–120 µM) reduced lactate dehydrogenase release and increased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Fluorescence analysis demonstrated ginsenoside Rg1 reduced intracellular ROS and suppressed the intracellular [Ca2+] level. Cell lysate detected an increase of T-SOD, CAT, and GSH levels. The myocardial protection of ginsenoside Rg1 during H/R is partially due to its antioxidative effect and intracellular calcium homeostasis. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 117–124, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.