• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.169-175
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• 2006

Ginseng is the best known and most popular herbal medicine used worldwide. In spite of reported beneficial effects of ginseng on the CNS, there is few scientific evidences established at the cellular level. Among more than 30 ginsenosides, Rb1 and Rg1, the active ingredients of ginseng, are regarded as the main compounds responsible for many pharmaceutical actions of ginseng. Daily treatment with Rb1 or Rg1 for 3 d significantly decreased the number of bromodeoxyuridine(BrdU)(+) cells in primary neural progenitor cells(NPCs) isolated from hippocampi at embryonic day 16.5(E16.5). In contrast, treatment with Rb1 or Rg1 greatly increased the number of microtubule associated protein(MAP2) (+) cells. In addition, the transcription factors, Ngn1 and Hes1, proneural members of the basic helix-loop-helix(bHLH) family, significantly increased in Rb1 or Rg1 treated-NPCs. Based on these results, we suggest for the first time that ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 decrease proliferation but promote neuronal differentiation of hippocampal NPCs.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.94-103
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• 2004

Korean red ginseng is known to have anti-stress and memory enhancing effects. Recent studies suggested that stress-induced inhibition of adult neurogenesis in hippocampus may contribute, in part, to decreased negative feedback inhibition of HPA axis. In order to elucidate the mechanism of Korean red ginseng in anti-stress and memory enhancing effects, we observed the effects of repeated treatment of Korean red ginseng total saponin (GTS, 50 mg/kg, i.p.) in response to repeated unpredictable stress for 10 days. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (230 - 260 g) received with either GTS (50 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle (1 ml/kg, i.p.) 1 h before stress for 10 days. Rats were injected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU, 50 mg/kg, i.p.) 16-18 he after last stress procedure, and were sacrificed 2 hr later by perfusion. Immunohistochemistry of BrdU was done to measure proliferation of neural progenitor cells in hippocampus, which was used as an index of neurogenesis. Repeated GTS treatment for 10 days increased neurogenesis in subgranular zone area of dentate gyrus (SGZ), but not hilus, compared with vehicle-treated rats. Repeated unpredictable stress did not affect the neurogenesis compared with controls, while repeated GTS treatment increased neurogenesis in SGZ in repeated unpredictable stress-exposed group. BDNF mRNA was also measured in subregions of hippocampus by in situ hybridization. BDNF mRNA expression in CA3 and CA1 pyramidal cell layer was increased by repeated GTS treatment but not in dentate granule cell layer. Repeated unpredictable stresses significantly decreased BDNF mRNA expression in all subregions of hippocampus, but repeated GTS treatment did not prevent stress-induced BDNF mRNA downregulation. Given that repeated GTS treatment increased proliferation of neural progenitor cells in repeated unpredictable stress-exposed rats in the presence of decreased BDNF mRNA expression in dentate granule cell layer, it raise the possibility that BDNF may not playa significant role in GTS-mediated increase of neurogenesis in adult rat hippocampus. Also, these results suggest that repeated GTS treatment increased neurogenesis of SGZ and BDNF mRNA expression, which may account for memory enhancing effect of Korean red ginseng. In addition, repeated GTS treatment appears not to have anti-stress effects in terms of neurotrophin, but GTS-mediated increase of neurogenesis in hippocampus may contribute to increase negative feedback inhibition of HPA axis.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.167-176
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• 1997

The present investigation was focussed mainly on the development of the tumors and proliferating cells on the intestinal tracts of 1, 2-dimethyl-hydrazine(DMH)-treated young or adult rats. 26 rats(Wistar, 14 young rats weighting approximately 130~180gm and 12 adult rats weighting approximately 500~550gm) were given subcutaneously once weekly with 20mg of DMH/kg body weight(BW)/week for 8~22 weeks. Individual body weight were recorded weekly at the same day and time. The rats were killed at 8, 13, 15. 17, 19, 21 and 22 weeks. The intestinal tracts were opened longitudinally and carefully examined for tumors. The localization, number, and size of tumors were noted. Tumor-bearing areas were dissected out and fixed on neutral buffered 10% formalin and normal-looking mucosa from 8~22 weeks rats were also taken for fixation. Paraffin sections were stained by H-E for histopathological examination or with immunohistochemical stain for bromodeoxyuridine(Brdur) positive cells. 1. The growth proportion of body weight appeared to be decreased in the DMH-treated young rats than in control young rats and body weight of DMH-treated adult rats appeared to be 13.4% or less lower than weighted on 0 week. 2. Macroscopically, the developed tumors in the intestinal tracts were not observed as early as the 13 weeks after DMH treatment. The number of developed tumors per rat was found to be 14.3, 18.8, 22.3 in 15, 17 and 22 weeks. The numbers of tumors in intestinal regions per rat were 2.1, 4.3, 5.4, 2.5 in duodenum, jejunum, ilium and colon on 15 weeks, 2.3, 6.4, 7.8, 2.3, on 17 weeks, and 2.7, 9.3, 9.0, 1.3 on 22 weeks, respectively and the ileum and jejunum were higher in appearance rate of tumors and tumor types are dome shapes and diameter of largest tumor were 6.3mm. 3. Histopathologically, intestinal mucosa were thickened by the irregular distorted and distended crypts following hyperplasia. The tumors developed on the mucosa and submucosa and were recognized to be adenocarcinoma. 4. Immunohistochemically, the labeling index(LI) was calculated as the ratio of the number of Brdur-labeled cells to the total number of column cells of the crypts with longitudinal axis. LI of Brdur positive cells per crypt were 5.6%, 8.0% on small intestine of control and 22 week group, respectively and 3.7%, 12.7% on large intestine of control and 22 week group, respectively and were appeared to be increase in 22 week group than in control group and to be more number of proliferating cells in 22 week group than in control group. 5. LI of Brdur positive cells in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 segments of crypt column were 11.7%, 10.7%, 3.8%, 0.6%, 0% in small intestine of control group and 23.5%, 11.8%, 2.3%, 2.4%, 0.8% in small intestine of 22 week group, and 5.4%, 7.4%, 3.8%, 1.0%, 0.4% in large intestine of control group and 29.5%, 20.3%, 5.9%, 6.3%, 1.3% in large intestine of 22 week group respectively. So results indicate that the number of proliferating cells by DMH treatment increase and were concentrated on the 1, 2 segments of crypt columns.