The Effects of Ginsenoside Re on High-Fat Diet induced Insulin Resistance in Muscle

Ginsenoside Re가 골격근의 고지방식 유도 인슐린 저항성에 미치는 영향

We evaluated the effect of the ginsenoside Re on insulin resistance of glucose transport in muscles of rats made insulin resistant with a high fat diet. After a week of adaptation period to the laboratory environment, 40 male wistar rats were randomly assigned into 2 groups (Chow diet group; CD, n = 20, High fat diet group; HFD, n = 20). After 5-week of high fat diet, Food was removed after 6:00 PM the day before the experiment. The following morning, rats were anesthetized by an intraperitoneal injection of pentobarbital sodium (50 mg/kg body wt), and the soleus muscles were removed. Before incubation, the soleus muscle was split longitudinally into strips with an average weight of 15~20 mg. After the muscle dissection was completed, the abdominal cavity was opened, and the epididymal, mesenteric, and retroperitoneal fat pads were removed and weighed. Treatment of muscles with ginsenoside Re alone had no effect on glucose transport. The high fat diet resulted in ~50% decreases glucose transport rate in soleus muscles. Treatment of muscles with ginsenoside Re in vitro for 90 min completely reversed the high fat diet-induced insulin resistance of glucose transport in soleus muscles. This effect of ginsenoside Re is specific for insulin stimulated glucose transport, as Re treatment did not reverse the high fat diet-induced resistance of skeletal muscle glucose transport to stimulation by contraction. Our results show that the ginsenoside Re induces a remarkably rapid reversal of high fat diet-induced insulin resistance of muscle glucose transport.