ThesaponinginsenosideRk1isamajorcompoundisolatedfromginseng.GinsenosideRk1hasbeenreportedtohaveanti-inflammatoryandanti-tumorpropertiesandtobeinvolvedintheregulationofmetabolism.However,theeffectandmechanismofanti-inflammatoryactionofginsenosideRk1hasnotbeenfullyclarified.WeinvestigatedwhetherginsenosideRk1couldsuppresstheinflammatoryresponseinlipopolysaccharide-stimulatedRAW264.7macrophagesandtoexploreitsmechanismoftheaction.RAW264.7cellsweretreatedwithLPS(1μg×mL~(–1))intheabsenceorthepresenceofGinsenosideRk1(10,20,and40μmol×L~(–1)).ThentheinflammatoryfactorsweretestedwithGriessreagents,ELISA,andRT-PCR.TheproteinswereanalyzedbyWesternblotting.GinsenosideRk1inhibitedlipopolysaccharide-inducedexpressionofnitricoxide(NO),interleukin(IL)-6,IL-1β,tumornecrosisfactor(TNF)-α,andmonocytechemotacticprotein(MCP)-1.GinsenosideRk1inhibitedthelipopolysaccharide-stimulatedphosphorylationofNF-κBandjanuskinase(Jak)2andsignaltransducerandactivatoroftranscription(Stat)3atSer727andTyr705.ThesedatasuggestedthatginsenosideRk1couldinhibitexpressionofinflammatorymediatorsandsuppressinflammationfurtherbyblockingactivationofNF-κBandtheJak2/Stat3pathwayinLPS-stimulatedRAW264.7cells.
