[Protective action of ginseng root extract on myofibril apoptosis and immune response in rats after exhausting physical exercise. Part I. Effect of ginseng root extract on myofibril apoptosis in rats' gastrocnemius muscle].

Abstract

Intense psychophysical loads in athletes are the pathogenetic basis for the development of immune dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, oxidative stress and activation of the process of apoptosis of cells in various organs and tissues, including myofibrils of skeletal muscles. Adaptogens of plant origin, including bioactive compounds (BAC) of ginseng, have long been used by professional athletes to enhance the body's resistance to stress and improve physical performance. All mechanisms of the adaptogenic effect of ginseng BAS have not been established yet. Of particular relevance is the issue of the effect of ginseng BAC on the damaged structure of skeletal muscle myofibrils and the activity of their regeneration after intense physical exertion in athletes. The aim of the research was to investigate the effect of intragastric administration of the ginseng root extract (ginsenosides) on the apoptosis of myofibrils in the gastrocnemius muscle of rats after exhausting physical exercise (EPE). Material and methods. The study was conducted on 5 groups of male Wistar rats with an initial body weight of ≈250 g. The rats received a complete semi-synthetic diet and water ad libitum. After the preparatory stage (1 week of quarantine and 1 week of acclimation to the treadmill), animals of the control (the 1st) and experimental (the 2, 3, 4 and 5th) groups were placed on a treadmill for 2 weeks (3 times a week) according to the training program (running duration - 20 min, speed 25 cm/s, treadmill inclination angle 10o), after the completion of which (except for the control group) a test for EPE was carried out. Thirty minutes before the start of training and EPE, rats of experimental groups 3-5 were intragastrically administered ginseng root extract (GRE) in saline in doses: 2.7 (group 3), 13.5 (group 4), and 27.0 (group 5) mg per kg body weight in terms of ginsenosides; animals of groups 1 and 2 were given saline. Within 30 minutes after EPE cessation, rats were withdrawn from the experiment by decapitation, followed by collection of a sample of the gastrocnemius muscle. The intensity of apoptosis of gastrocnemius muscle myofibrils was studied on the day of slaughter by the flow cytometry method. Myofibrils were stained with annexin V conjugated with fluorochrome and 7-aminoactinomycin vital dye with subsequent detection on an FC-500 flow cytometer. Results. EPE in rats of the 2nd group lead to a decrease in the relative content of intact (live) myofibrils of the gastrocnemius muscle (80.51±1.41 vs 88.39±1.04% in the control, p<0.05) and an increase in the proportion of myofibrils in apoptosis (20.06±1.62 vs 11.16±1.14% in the control, p<0.05). Intragastric administration of GRE provided positive dynamics (p<0.05) of an increase in the relative content of intact myofibrils in rats of the 4th and 5th groups (85.75±1.22 and 84.60±1.11% respectively) compared with the indicator in rats of the 2nd group that didn't receive GRE. The total number of myofibrils in apoptosis in rats of the 2, 3 and 5th groups after EPE exceeded (p<0.05) the indicator in control rats. GRE administration to the animals of the 4th (13.5 mg/kg body weight) and the 5th (27 mg/kg body weight) groups ensured a decrease (p<0.05) of the total number of apoptotic myofibrils compared to rats of the 2nd group. The minimum dosage of GRE used in rats of the 3rd group (2.7 mg/kg body weight) did not have a reliable effect on the studied apoptosis indices. Conclusion. A dose-dependent anti-apoptotic effect of the GRE BAC on the myofibrils of skeletal muscles has been demonstrated on the EPE model in rats. The most pronounced effect was observed with GRE administration at a daily dose of 13.5 mg/kg body weight (in terms of ginsenosides). When using the minimum and maximum GRE dosage (2.7 and 27 mg/kg body weight), the proportion of myofibrils in apoptosis remained elevated relative to the control group. Thus, the data obtained confirm the concept that one of the mechanisms of the adaptogenic effect of ginseng BAC is a decrease in the apoptosis activity in skeletal muscle myofibrils induced by EPE.