6-gingerol protects nucleus pulposus-derived mesenchymal stem cells from oxidative injury by activating autophagy

Figure 7 Activity of PI3K/Akt pathway in the 6-gingerol related protective effect. A-B: Western blot results and quantitative analysis of the expression of the PI3K/Akt pathway-related proteins p-Akt and Akt. Nucleus pulposus-derived mesenchymal stem cells were treated with cell culture medium (CON group), 80 μmol/L hydrogen peroxide alone (HYD group), hydrogen peroxide and 30 μmol/L 6-gingerol (6-GIN group), or hydrogen peroxide and 6-GIN combined with 10 mmol/L 3-methyladenine (3-MA group). All data are the mean ± SE of at least three independent experiments. ^eP < 0.05 vs CON group; ^fP < 0.05 vs HYD group; ^gP < 0.05 vs 6-GIN group. H₂O₂: Hydrogen peroxide; 6-GIN: 6-gingerol; 3-MA: 3-methyladenine.