Therapeutic Effects of Ginsenoside Rh2 in the Treatment of Sepsis

Abstract

Panax ginseng, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with a wide range of pharmacological activities, has been extensively investigated. However, its specific pharmacological mechanism in preventing and treating sepsis remains elusive. The study aims to investigate preventive effects of ginsenoside Rh2 (GRh2) on RAW264.7 cells and therapeutic effects of Panax ginseng in sepsis patients. The active ingredients of Panax ginseng were obtained from the TCMSP database. RAW 264.7 cells were incubated with the active ingredient of Panax ginseng at indicated concentrations for 1 hour and then stimulated with lipopolyssacharide (LPS). The therapeutic effects of Panax ginseng were validated in sepsis patients. We initially obtained 17 active ingredients of Panax ginseng including 20(S)-GRh2. No cytotoxicity conferred by 20(S)-GRh2 against RAW264.7 cells was found by cell viability assays. The treatment with 20(S)-GRh2 dramatically inhibited LPSinduced release of nitric oxide and production of pro-inflammatory factors in RAW264.7 cells. In sepsis patients, the administration of Sini Decoction supplemented with Panax ginseng resulted in lower SOFA scores and lower concentrations of pro-inflammatory factors in the sera compared to the control group (P <0.05). Our study demonstrates the therapeutic effects of Panax ginseng in sepsis by its anti-inflammatory action and provides clinical evidence that Panax ginseng supplemented into Sini Decoction as a treatment strategy to prevent sepsis progression.