Ginsenoside Re Promotes Nerve Regeneration by Facilitating the Proliferation, Differentiation and Migration of Schwann Cells via the ERK- and JNK-Dependent Pathway in Rat Model of Sciatic Nerve Crush Injury

Exploring effective drugs that are capable of promoting nerve regeneration has gained much attention. Ginsenoside Re (Re) is the main ingredient of ginseng berries and roots. Research in the area has shown that ginsenoside Re exhibits multiple pharmacological activities via different mechanisms both in vivo and in vitro. But the potential therapeutic effects of Re on sciatic nerve crush injury (SNC) have been little investigated. Herein, we investigated the protect effect of Re on peripheral nerve regeneration in a rat SNC model. Walking track analysis revealed that Re treatment significantly promoted functional recovery of crushed sciatic nerve in rats. The expression of PCNA in rat sciatic nerve was up-regulated by Re treatment, and peaked when the concentration of Re was 2.0 mg/kg. Using immunofluorescent staining, we found that Re greatly increased the expression of GAP-43 and S100 in injured rat sciatic nerve. Furthermore, we evaluated the effects of Re on proliferation, differentiation, and migration of Schwann cells in SNC rat models. Our studies reveal that Re promotes nerve regeneration is depend on ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 signaling pathway. Elevated Oct-6 expression and featured morphological changes indicated that Re facilitated the differentiation of Schwann cells following SNC. Also, transwell and wound-healing assay demonstrated that the migration capabilities of Schwann cell were significantly enhanced after Re treatment.