Effects of cultivated wild ginseng pharmacopuncture at Gansoo (BL18) and Gokji (LI11) on lipid composition, cytokine level, liver function and antioxidative capacity in diet-induced obese rats

간유(肝兪)(BL18) 및 곡지(曲池)(LI11) 산삼약침 처치가 비만쥐의 지질구성, cytokine, 간장기능, 항산화능에 미치는 영향

Objevtives & Methods : Effects of cultivated wild ginseng pharmacopuncture at BL18 and LI11 on lipid composition, cytokine level, liver function, anti-oxidative capacity and histological characters were investigated in diet-induced obese rats. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing about 400g were divided into 4 groups of control, BL18, LI11 and BL18 plus LI11 pharmacopuncture groups and raised for 4 weeks. Results : 1. Plasma ${\beta}$-lipoprotein, free fatty acids level and TNF-${\alpha}$ levels significantly decreased in the pharmacopuncture groups compared to those of no treatment group. Plasma and liver total cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels were also significantly lower than those of no treatment group. There was, however, no difference in TBARS level among pharmacopuncture groups. Liver total cholesterol level of BL18 pharmacopuncture group was lower than those of the other two pharmacopuncture groups. In LDL-cholesterol level, BL18 pharmacopuncture and BL18 plus LI11 pharmacopuncture groups only had significantly lower levels than that of no treatment group. 2. There was no significant difference between cultivated wild ginseng pharmacopuncture groups and no treatment group in IL-6, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartic acid transaminase (AST) levels. 3. Compared with \ those of no treatment group, pharmacopuncture groups had significantly higher levels of HDL-cholesterol, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase activities. There was, however, no significant difference among pharmacopuncture groups. 4. Histological characters of heart, kidney and liver of BL18 pharmacopuncture group were similar to those of normal rats. Conclusions : These results indicate that cultivated wild ginseng pharmacopuncture at BL18 and LI11 may suppress adipose tissue mass and lipid peroxidation and activate antioxidant system.