• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.94-99
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• 2013

Proteinuric conditions demonstrate structural and compositional changes of the foot processes and slit diaphragms between podocytes. p130Cas in podocytes serves as an adapter protein anchoring glomerular basement membrane to actin filaments of podocyte cytoskeleton. To investigate the effect of ginseng total saponin (GTS) on the pathologic changes of podocyte p130Cas induced by diabetic conditions, we cultured mouse podocytes under: 1) normal glucose (5 mM, control); 2) high glucose (HG, 30 mM); 3) advanced glycosylation endproducts (AGE)-added; or 4) HG plus AGE-added conditions and treated with GTS. In confocal imaging, p130Cas colocalized with zonula occludens-1 and synaptopodin connecting to F-actin. However, diabetic conditions relocalized p130Cas molecules at perinuclear cytoplasmic area and reduced the intensity of p130Cas. In Western blotting, diabetic conditions, especially HG plus AGE-added condition, decreased cellular p130Cas protein levels at 24 and 48 h. GTS improved such quantitative and qualitative changes. These findings imply that HG and AGE have an influence on the redistribution and amount of p130Cas of podocytes, which can be reversed by GTS.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.929-937
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Acanthopanax senticosus extract (ASE) (ethanol : DW=1:1, v/v) on inhibition of type 2 diabetes using an OLETF rat model via regulation of HbA1c and AGEs levels. Supplementation with ASE 0.1% and 0.5% effectively lowered levels of glucose, insulin, oral glucose tolerance test, and Homa-insulin resistance, suggesting reduced insulin resistance. Blood levels of HbA1c and AGEs were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner. As oxidative stress plays a key role in accelerating production of HbA1c and AGEs, which worsen symptoms of type 2 diabetes, levels of malonaldehyde and pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured. Lipid peroxidation in both blood and liver tissues was significantly reduced, and induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-${\beta}$ and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, which elevate production of HbA1c and AGEs, was inhibited (P<0.05). To evaluate the possible cellular events after AGEs receptor activation, genetic expression of protein kinase C (PKC)-${\delta}$ and transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}$ was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Supplementation with both ASE 0.1% and 0.5% significantly inhibited mRNA expression of PKC-${\delta}$ and TGF-${\beta}$, indicating that ASE may have beneficial effects on preventing insulin-resistant cells or tissues from progressing to diabetic complications. Taken together, ASE has potential to improve type 2 diabetes by inhibiting insulin resistance and protein glycosylation, including production of HbA1c and AGEs. Anti-oxidative activities of ASE are a main requisite for reducing production of HbA1c and AGEs and are also related to regulation of the PKC signaling pathway, resulting in suppression of TGF-${\beta}$, which increases synthesis of collagen, prostaglandin, and disease-related proteins.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.140-148
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• 2007

Diabetic nephropathy has been increasing, although blood glucose and blood pressure can be controlled by angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) or advanced glycosylation end products(AGE) inhibitors in the diabetic patients. We investigated the effect of dietary supplementation of sea tangle on the blood glucose, and pathological scoring of diabetic kidneys in the streptozotocin(STZ) induced diabetic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal rats fed control diet and diabetic rats fed control diet or control diet supplemented with powder or oater extract of sea tangle. Diabetes was induced by a single injection of STZ(60mg/kg, ip) in citrate buffer. The animals were fed the experimental diet and water for 13 weeks. Dietary supplementation of sea tangle decreased blood glucose in the diabetic rats. However, dietary supplementation of sea tangle did not affect the antioxidant enzyme activities, MDA content and pathology of diabetic kidneys. These results indicate that decreased blood glucose by sea tangle could not delay the progression of diabetic kidney disease.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.233-238
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• 2014

Background: The actin cytoskeleton in podocytes is essential for the maintenance of its normal structure and function. Its disruption is a feature of podocyte foot-process effacement and is associated with proteinuria. ${\alpha}$-Actinin-4 in podocytes serves as a linker protein binding the actin filaments of the cytoskeleton. Methods: To investigate the effect of ginseng total saponin (GTS) on the pathological changes of podocyte ${\alpha}$-actinin-4 induced by diabetic conditions, we cultured mouse podocytes under normal glucose (5mM) or high glucose (HG, 30mM) conditions, with or without the addition of advanced glycosylation end products (AGE), and treated with GTS. Results: In confocal imaging, ${\alpha}$-actinin-4 colocalized with the ends of F-actin fibers in cytoplasm, but diabetic conditions disrupted F-actin fibers and concentrated ${\alpha}$-actinin-4 molecules at the peripheral cytoplasm. GTS upregulated ${\alpha}$-actinin protein in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and suppressed the receptor for AGE levels in western blotting. Diabetic conditions, including HG, AGE, and both together, decreased cellular ${\alpha}$-actinin-4 protein levels at 24 h and 48 h. Such quantitative and qualitative changes of ${\alpha}$-actinin-4 protein induced by diabetic conditions were mitigated by GTS. Conclusion: These findings imply that both HG and AGE have an influence on the distribution and amount of ${\alpha}$-actinin-4 in podocytes that can be recovered by GTS.