Protective action of the ginsenoside Rh3 in a rat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury model by inhibition of apoptosis induced via p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase/caspase-3 signaling

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effects of the ginsenoside Rh3 on rats subjected to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MIR) via its impact on caspase-3 and the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. METHODS: Fifteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly categorized into the MIR group (MY group, n = 5), sham surgery group (SS group, n = 5), and ginsenoside Rh3 group (GR group, n = 5). RESULTS: The MY group exhibited the largest myocardial infarctions compared with the GR and SS groups. The GR group exhibited significantly higher cell viability of cardiomyocytes and significantly decreased apoptosis compared with the MY group. Fibrils of infarcted tissue in the GR group were disordered but less swollen, with a more organized fibril orientation than those in the MY group. The GR group showed reduced p-p38 MAPK protein and caspase-3 mRNA expression levels compared with the MY and SS groups. CONCLUSIONS: Rh3 significantly improved myocardial necrosis and caspase-3 levels in myocardial tissues by suppressing the p38 MAPK pathway, thereby inhibiting caspase-3 involvement in apoptosis. Thus, Rh3 was effective in inhibiting the escalated apoptotic pathway in myocardial infarction and can potentially serve as a useful therapeutic agent to rescue myocardial infarction.