Ginseng oligosaccharides (GSO) inhibit C48/80-stimulated pseudoallergic mechanisms through the PLC/Ca2+/PKC/MAPK/c-Fos signaling pathway

Abstract

Allergy is considered a hyperreactive immune response. Oligosaccharide ingredients are often incorporated in dietary supplements to modulate immunity, with oligosaccharides in ginseng thought to exert beneficial immunoregulatory effects. Here, efficacy and mechanism of action of ginseng oligosaccharide extract (GSO) for alleviating allergy were explored. GSO reduced secretion of β-HEX, HIS and inflammatory factor after C48/80 stimulation, while also reducing foot swelling and Evans blue exudation. Moreover, GSO treatment reduced PLCβ1 expression, intracellular calcium concentration, and calmodulin kinase (CaMK) phosphorylation that inhibited phosphorylation of PKC, leading to reduced MAPKs and p-c-Fos phosphorylation levels without affecting p-c-Jun levels. Notably, GSO inhibited allergy-like responses both in vivo and in vitro to reduce synthesis of inflammatory factors through the PKC/MAPK/c-Fos signaling pathway and inhibit PLC/Ca2+/CaMK pathway activity to reduce release of inflammatory factors and histamine and prevent allergy-associated degranulation effects. Thus, GSO holds promise as a clinical treatment for use in alleviating allergic disorders.

Keywords

• Ginseng
• Oligosaccharides
• Ca2+/CaMK
• PLC/PKC
• MAPK