Gastric mucosal hexosamine is the best indicator of mucin production, which is the first line of gastric mucosal defense. A significant decrease in mucosal hexosamine content, like in the adherent gastric mucus, was seen in C48/80-induced gastric lesion control rats compared with normal rats (Table 1). Pre-administration with famotidine and ginsenoside Re significantly attenuated the decrease in mucosal hexosamine content. These effects of ginsenoside Re exhibited dose dependency. Gastric mucosal MDA content, MPO, and

XO activities significantly increased in C48/80-treated control rats compared to those of the normal group (Table 2). The MDA content, MPO, and XO activities in the C48/80-treated control group were 3.6, 2.3, and 1.4 times higher, respectively, than those in the normal group. Pre-administered ginsenoside Re significantly attenuated these GSK J4 in vivo parameters. Immunofluorescence GSI-IX molecular weight staining clearly showed that Bax was expressed and limited to the cytosol of the gastric mucosal cells (Fig. 2). Bax

positive cells were found predominantly in part of the gastric gland (arrow in Fig. 2B). The Bax staining in submucosa and muscularis externa was very strong (arrowhead in Fig. 2B). Bax staining decreased in famotidine (positive control, arrow in Fig. 2C)- and ginsenoside Re (arrow in Fig. 2D)-treated rats compared with the control group suggesting the alleviation of apoptotic damage in the gastric mucosal cell layer in these groups. By contrast, Bcl2 positive cells were found predominantly in part of the normal gastric gland (arrow in Fig. 3A). Bcl2 staining in submucosa and muscularis externa was extremely strong in the normal group (arrowhead in Fig. 3A). Bcl2 staining became weak in both gastric mucosa and submucosa in the control group (arrow and arrowhead in Fig. 3B). Famotidine and

ginsenoside Re attenuated the diminishment of the Bcl2 staining in both gastric mucosa and submucosa (arrow and arrowhead in Fig. 3C and D). Parts of the gastric gland, submucosa, and muscularis externa were microdissected (Fig. 4A) Olopatadine and the proteins were extracted. Bax protein increased in the C48/80-treated control and decreased in the famotidine- and ginsenoside Re-treated groups. By contrast, Bcl2 protein decreased in the C48/80-treated control and increased in the famotidine- and ginsenoside Re-treated groups (Fig. 4B). The ratio of Bax and Bcl2 significantly increased in the C48/80-treated control group compared with the normal group (Fig. 4C, p < 0.05). The famotidine- and ginsenoside Re-treated groups showed significantly decreased Bax/Bcl2 ratios compared with the C48/80-treated control (p < 0.05). Ginsenoside Re showed multiple pharmacological activities including antidiabetic [3], antiobese [4], antioxidant, anticancer [22], memory-enhancing [23], and anti-inflammatory effects [24], and inhibitory activities on histamine release [7].