Effect of Ginseng Saponins on the Distribution of Brain Nerve Cells in Carbon Monoxide-intoxicated Mice and Aged Mice

인삼 사포닌이 일산화탄소중독 및 노화과정에서 생쥐의 뇌신경세포 분포에 미치는 영향

The effects of ginseng saponins on the distribution of nerve cells in cerebral cortex of carbon monoxide (CO)-intoxicated mice were studied in the young ($5{\sim}8$ weeks) and aged ($43{\sim}52$ weeks) mice. Mice were exposed to 5000 ppm of CO for 40 minutes (72% HbCO). After that, nerve cells in motor(area 4), somatosensory(area 3) and visual(area 17) area of cerebral cortex was observed. In young mice, the number of nerve cells in each area was significantly decreased on 1st, 7th and 14th day after CO intoxication. In aged mice, that was also decreased after CO intoxication. Especially the number of the nerve cells in motor and somatosensory area was significantly decreased on 1st and 7th day, while that in visual area was decreased only on 1st day. The number of nerve cells in young mice pretreated with ginseng saponins were significantly decreased less on 7th and 14th day than that of untreated mice. The number of nerve cells in each area of normal aged mice was larger than that of normal young mice. The results suggest that CO exposure causes local degeneration or disturbance of nerve cells and delayed neurologic sequelae, while ginseng saponins might play a role of protective action on the nerve cells which were damaged by CO.