人参皂苷Rg2（Rg2）具有多种药理作用，在炎症、癌症和其他疾病治疗方面有益。然而，目前还没有报告Rg2与动脉粥样硬化之间的关系。我们使用3-(4,5-二甲基噻唑-2-基)-2,5-二苯基四唑溴化物（MTT）检测了Rg2对血管平滑肌细胞（VSMCs）和人脐静脉内皮细胞（HUVECs）的细胞存活率。通过mRNA水平检测HUVECs的炎症因子表达和VSMCs的表型转化相关标志物表达。采用Western blot方法检测炎症通路的表达和蛋白质水平上的表型转化的表达。使用大鼠颈动脉球囊损伤模型探讨Rg2对炎症和表型转化的影响。 Rg2降低了脂多糖（LPS）诱导HUVECs中炎症因子的表达，而不影响细胞存活。这些事件依赖于NF-κB和p-ERK信号通路的阻塞调节。在VSMCs中，Rg2可以抑制血小板衍生生长因子-BB（PDGF-BB）诱导的VSMCs增殖、移行和表型转化，这可能有助于其抗动脉粥样硬化作用。在受颈动脉球囊损伤的大鼠中，Rg2可以减少受损后的内膜增殖，调节炎症途径以减少炎症反应，并抑制VSMCs的表型转化。 这些结果表明，Rg2可以在细胞和动物水平上发挥其抗动脉粥样硬化作用，从而为人参作为功能性膳食调节剂提供更充分的依据。©2022年韩国人参学会。由爱思唯尔出版服务提供。

Ginsenoside Rg2 (Rg2) has a variety of pharmacological activities and provides benefits during inflammation, cancer, and other diseases. However, there are no reports about the relationship between Rg2 and atherosclerosis.We used 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) to detect the cell viability of Rg2 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The expression of inflammatory factors in HUVECs and the expression of phenotypic transformation-related marker in VSMCs were detected at mRNA levels. Western blot method was used to detect the expression of inflammation pathways and the expression of phenotypic transformation at the protein levels. The rat carotid balloon injury model was performed to explore the effect of Rg2 on inflammation and phenotypic transformation in vivo.Rg2 decreased the expression of inflammatory factors induced by lipopolysaccharide in HUVECs-without affecting cell viability. These events depend on the blocking regulation of NF-κB and p-ERK signaling pathway. In VSMCs, Rg2 can inhibit the proliferation, migration, and phenotypic transformation of VSMCs induced by platelet derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB)-which may contribute to its anti-atherosclerotic role. In rats with carotid balloon injury, Rg2 can reduce intimal proliferation after injury, regulate the inflammatory pathway to reduce inflammatory response, and also suppress the phenotypic transformation of VSMCs.These results suggest that Rg2 can exert its anti-atherosclerotic effect at the cellular level and animal level, which provides a more sufficient basis for ginseng as a functional dietary regulator.© 2022 The Korean Society of Ginseng. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.