Pro-angiogenic Ginsenoside F1 and Rh1 Inhibit Vascular Leakage by Modulating NR4A1

Angiogenesis is an essential process in human physiology and disease pathology. Particularly, in ischemic disease condition, the proper induction of angiogenesis without vascular leakage will be crucial for its effective therapy. Ginsenosides, triterpenoid saponins from a well-known medicinal plant ginseng, have been considered as a strong candidate for modulating angiogenesis. However, the biologic activity of individual gensenoside compounds and their target pathway have not been elucidated systematically. To find the candidates of vascular-related therapeutic agents, we evaluated in vitro angiogenic efficacy of 10 ginsenosides using tube formation assay with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Among them, F1 and Rh1 showed strong in vitro angiogenic properties including EC tube formation, proliferation, and migration similar to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). However, RNA transcriptome analysis showed that F1 and Rh1 differentially regulate gene expressions in HUVECs compared to VEGF. Not only that, F1 and Rh1 significantly inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced vascular leakage both in vitro and in vivo. From RNA transcriptome analysis, we identified that nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 (NR4A1) is regulated by F1 and Rh1 for suppression of VEGF-induced vascular leakage. By suppressing the expression and transcriptional activity of NR4A1, F1 and Rh1 could stabilize the expression and localization of junctional vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin. These findings demonstrate that F1 and Rh1 could be potential compounds in the development of vascular pharmaceuticals. mRNA profiles of VEGF- and ginsenoside F1/Rh1-treated HUVEC were generated by deep sequencing, in duplicate, using Hiseq-2500.