Ginsenoside Rg1 inhibits angiogenesis in diabetic retinopathy through the miR-100-3p/FBXW7/c-MYC molecular axis

Aims/introduction: Ginsenoside Rg1 is an active ingredient found mainly in ginseng that has a variety of pharmacological effects, such as hypoglycemic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects, and it inhibits vascular formation. In this study, we explored the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on angiogenesis in diabetic retinopathy (DR) on the basis of its ability to inhibit angiogenesis and the specific molecular mechanism involved.

Materials and methods: We induced an in vivo model of diabetes by injection of 55 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) into the abdominal cavity of SD rats daily for 3 days. Moreover, human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) were treated with 30 mmol/L glucose for 24 h to construct a high-glucose (HG) cell model in vitro. The expression of related genes and proteins was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blotting. HRMECs and retinal damage were evaluated by CCK-8, scratch, tube formation assays, and HE staining.

Results: In this study, Rg1 inhibited HG-induced angiogenesis of HRMECs and inhibited STZ-induced vascular leakage and capillary degeneration in vivo, alleviating the progression of DR. Mechanistically, Rg1 upregulated the expression of FBXW7 by inhibiting miR-100-3p, thereby promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of c-Myc, inhibiting HG-induced HRMECs proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis, and improving the development of DR.

Conclusions: Overall, our study demonstrates that ginsenoside Rg1 can inhibit DR angiogenesis via the miR-100-3p/FBXW7/c-Myc molecular axis. These findings provide a novel idea for the treatment of DR and provide an experimental basis for further research on the application of Rg1 in the treatment of DR.

Angiogenesis; Diabetic retinopathy; Ginsenoside Rg1.