Ginsenoside Rg3 ameliorates myocardial glucose metabolism and insulin resistance via activating the AMPK signaling pathway

BACKGROUND: Ginsenoside Rg3 is one of the main active ingredients in ginseng. Here, we aimed to confirm its protective effect on the heart function in transverse aortic coarctation (TAC)-induced heart failure mice and explore the potential molecular mechanisms involved. METHODS: The effects of ginsenoside Rg3 on heart and mitochondrial function were investigated by treating TAC-induced heart failure in mice. The mechanism of ginsenoside Rg3 for improving heart and mitochondrial function in mice with heart failure was predicted through integrative analysis of the proteome and plasma metabolome. Glucose uptake and myocardial insulin sensitivity were evaluated using micro-positron emission tomography. The effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on myocardial insulin sensitivity was clarified by combining in vivo animal experiments and in vitro cell experiments. RESULTS: Treatment of TAC-induced mouse models with ginsenoside Rg3 significantly improved heart function and protected mitochondrial structure and function. Fusion of metabolomics, proteomics, and targeted metabolomics data showed that Rg3 regulated the glycolysis process, and Rg3 not only regulated glucose uptake but also improve myocardial insulin resistance. The molecular mechanism of ginsenoside Rg3 regulation of glucose metabolism was determined by exploring the interaction pathways of AMPK, insulin resistance, and glucose metabolism. The effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on the promotion of glucose uptake in IR-H9c2 cells by AMPK activation was dependent on the insulin signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Ginsenoside Rg3 modulates glucose metabolism and significantly ameliorates insulin resistance through activation of the AMPK pathway.