TY - JOUR AB - Ginsenoside Rh2 (G‑Rh2) is a monomeric compound that extracted from ginseng and possesses anti‑cancer activities both in vitro and in vivo. Previously, we reported that G‑Rh2 induces apoptosis in HeLa cervical cancer cells and that the process was related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the upstream mechanisms of G‑Rh2, along with its cellular targets, remain to be elucidated. In the present study, the Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay, flow cytometry and Hoechst staining revealed that G‑Rh2 significantly inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. However, G‑Rh2 was demonstrated to be non‑toxic to End1/e6e7 cells. JC‑1, rhodamine 123 staining, oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis capacity assays demonstrated that G‑Rh2 exposure caused an immediate decrease in mitochondrial transmembrane potential due to its inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, as well as glycolysis, both of which reduced cellular ATP production. Western blotting and electron transport chain (ETC) activity assays revealed that G‑Rh2 significantly inhibited the activity of ETC complexes I, III and V. Overexpression of ETC complex III partially significantly restored mitochondrial ROS and inhibited the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells induced by G‑Rh2. The predicted results of binding energy in molecular docking, confirmed that G‑Rh2 was highly likely to induce mitochondrial ROS production and promote cell apoptosis by targeting the ETC complex, especially for ETC complex III. Taken together, the present results revealed the potential anti‑cervical cancer activity of G‑Rh2 and provide direct evidence for the contribution of impaired ETC complex activity to cervical cancer cell death. AD - Jilin Ginseng Academy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, Jilin 130117, P.R. China GeneScience Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Changchun, Jilin 130012, P.R. China Scientific Research Department, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, Jilin 130117, P.R. China AU - Liu,Ying AU - Yu,Shiting AU - Xing,Xin AU - Qiao,Juhui AU - Yin,Yiqiu AU - Wang,Jiawen AU - Liu,Meichen AU - Zhang,Wei DA - 2021/12/01 DO - 10.3892/mmr.2021.12513 IS - 6 JO - Mol Med Rep KW - ginsenoside Rh2 mitochondria oxidative phosphorylation reactive oxygen species mitochondrial electron transfer chain complexes PY - 2021 SN - 1791-2997 1791-3004 SP - 873 ST - Ginsenoside Rh2 stimulates the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and induces apoptosis of cervical cancer cells by inhibiting mitochondrial electron transfer chain complex T2 - Molecular Medicine Reports TI - Ginsenoside Rh2 stimulates the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and induces apoptosis of cervical cancer cells by inhibiting mitochondrial electron transfer chain complex UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2021.12513 VL - 24 ER -