Effect of Ginseng Saponins on the Content of Cerebral Energy Metabolites in Carbon Monoxide-intoxicated Rats and Aged Rats

인삼 사포닌이 일산화탄소중독 및 노화과정에서 흰쥐의 뇌에너지 대사물 함량 변화에 미치는 영향

This study was performed to investigate the effects of ginseng saponins on the cerebral energy metabolite's contents influenced by carbon monoxide(CO) intoxication. Each experimental group was divided young ($5{\sim}8$ weeks) and aged ($43{\sim}52$ weeks) rats, and they were exposed at 5,000 ppm CO (72%HbCO) for 30 min. One of the other groups was pretreated with ginseng saponins for 5 days before CO intoxication. The contents of cerebral energy metabolites in cerebral cortex, stratum and hypothalamus were measured. In cerebral cortex of both young and aged rats, the levels of ATP and creatine phosphate were significantly decreased, while those of lactate were significantly increased. There was no difference between the levels of cerebral energy metabolites of young and aged rats. Pretreatment of ginseng saponins before CO intoxication lowered decrease of the levels of cerebral energy metabolites and ATP levels were significantly recovered. On the other hands, contents of lactate in stratum and hypothalamus of young rats were significantly increased and the levels of ATP and creatine phosphate in stratum and hypothalamus were completely recovered at 2 weeks after CO intoxication. The results suggest that ginseng saponins have an ameliorating action against disturbance of the cerebral energy metabolites by CO intoxication.