• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.93-98
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• 1992

This study examined the Influence of ginseng total saponins (GTS) on the analgestic action and tolerance development of pentazocine in mice. Pentazocine prolonged the latency to response in the tail flick rather than in the tail pinch test. The analgesic effect of pentaEocine was antagonized by naloxone and completely eliminated by pretreatment u·ith f-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA). GTS provented the pentasocine-incuced analgesia ann inhibited the development of tolerance to pentazocine. The antagonistic effect of GTS on the pentazocine-induced analgesia was abolished by 5-HTP, but not by L-DOPA. These results suggest that GTS inhibits the analgesic action of pentazocine by the interaction with serotonergic neuron.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.200-205
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• 1998

Isolated rabbit jejunal segments were used to study the effects of ginseng total saponins (GTS) , protopanaxatriol saponins (PT) and protopanaxadiol saponins (PD) on intestinal contractility. GTS, PT and PD caused a dose-dependent decrease in intestinal spontaneous movements, and PT was the most efficacious of them. The effect of GTS, PT and PD were not blocked by pretreatment with phentolamine (10-6 M), yohimbine (10-6 M), d1-propranolol (10-6 M), naloxone(10-6∼10-5M), Nu-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (10-4 M), methylene blue (10-5M), and N-ethylmaleimide (10-4 M). However, pretreatment with tetraethylammonium chloride (3-10 mM) antagonized the effect of GTS, PT and PD. Furthermore, 4-amlnopyridine (1 mM) also inhibited the effect of GTS, PT and PD. The results suggest that GTS, PT and PD inhibited the spontaneous movements in isolated rebait jejunum by causing hyperpolarization through an activation of K+ channels directly.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.201-207
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• 1998

To evaluate the possibility that the ginseng saponins could be developed as an anti-arteriosclerotic agent, we examined the inhibitory effects of ginseng saponins (total saponin[TS], panaxatriol[PT], panaxadiol[PD]) on the expression of c-fos mRNA and the proliferation of cultured rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) stimulated by angiotensin II (Ang II). TS and PT (1.0 mg/ml) suppressed c-fos mRNA induction in VSMCs stimulated by $10^{-5}$ M Ang II. The order of inhibitory potency was PT>TS. Ginseng saponins ($0.01{\sim}1.0$ mg/ml) inhibited the proliferation of VSMCs stimulated by Ang II in a concentration dependent manner, the inhibitory potency was TS＞PT＞PD at $0.1{\sim}1.0$ mg/ml. These results suggest that ginseng saponins may suppress Ang II-stimulated proliferation of aortic VSMCs which can be seen in atherosclerosis, hypertension and restenosis.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.19-27
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• 1997

The present study was conducted to assess the effect of total saponins from Korean red ginseng on the biosynthesis of inositol phospholipids in vivo and also effects on the metabolic enzymes, such as phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C(Pl-PLC) and PI-kinases. The administration of 0.1% saponin solution, 0.1 ml 3 times a day intraperitoneally to 5 mice for 30 days has increased a 23% of the body weight when it compared with a control group. The amounts of 32P-phoschorus radioactivity incorporated into the phosphoinositides from the liver and brain tissues have increased a 310% and 260%, respectively, in the saponin treated mice. The activities of PI-PLC from liver and brain were stimulated in the various amounts by the conditions treated with saponins. The PI-kinases from liver and brain were also activated by saponins, but its effect was lower than that of PI-PLC. From these results, it was confirmed that red ginseng saponins have affected positively not only on the biosynthesis of phosphoinositides but also on the PI-PLC and PI-kinases related to the cellular signal transduction.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.80-85
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• 2011

Ginseng, a traditional medicine in Asian countries, is known to prevent various neuropathologic diseases such as Alzheimer's. Ginseng total saponins (GTS) in particular are one of the most effective ginseng extract compounds for neuroprotection. However, their protective effects on astrocytes are rarely reported. In pathological circumstances, astroglial activation plays a pivotal role in neuroinflammation. Subsequently, neuroinflammation induced by activated astrocytes causes brain damage. The purpose of the present study was to determine the suppressive effects of GTS on astroglial activation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated rat primary astrocytes. Astrocytes treated for 24 h with LPS demonstrated suppressed glialfibrillary acidic protein expression in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of GTS. GTS reduced production of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and interleukin-1${\beta}$ and inhibited the level of inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 in LPS-stimulated astrocytes. Furthermore, GTS suppressed intracellular reactive oxygen species production. These modulations due to GTS may indicate neuroprotective antiinfl ammatory properties which may in turn be related to improvements in neurological performance.

• 약학회지
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.129-136
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• 1992

The effects of ginseng saponins, gypsophila saponin, sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS), and Triton X-100 on membrane $K^+-dependent$ phosphatase activity which is lipid dependent and represents dephosphorylation step of the complete Na+, $K^+-ATPase$ reaction were investigated in this study to elucidate whether the effects of ginseng saponins are due to the detergent action, using sarcolemma enriched preparation isolated from dog ventricle. $Na^+$, $K^+-ATPase$ and $K^+-dependent$ phosphatase activities of cardiac sarcolemma were about $143\;{\mu}mol$ Pi/mg protein/hr and $34\;{\mu}mol$ p-nitrophenol/mg protein/hr, respectively. While ginseng saponins (triol>total>diol) inhibited $K^+-dependent$ phosphatase activity, gypsophila saponin, and low dose of SDS($0.4\;{\mu}g/{\mu}g$ protein), and Triton X-100 ($0.6\;{\mu}g/{\mu}g$ protein) increased the enzyme activity, indicating disruptive effect of detergents on membrane barriers. The activating effect of low doses of Triton X-100 on membrane $K^+-dependent$ phosphatase appeared at concentration decreasing light scattering. However, the inhibitory effect of ginseng saponin appeared before a decrease in light scattering. These results suggest that low concentrations of ginseng saponins inhibit the membrane $K^+-dependent$ phosphatase by interacting directly with enzyme before membrane disruption.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.135-138
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• 1986

Ginseng total saponins(GS), protopanaxadiol saponins(PD) and protopanaxadiol saponins(PT) antagonized the analgesia in mice induced by morphine. The administrations of 2,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, and 5-hydroxytryptophan reduced the GS, PD and PT antagonisms of morphine analgesia. Possible mechanisms involved in the antagonistic actions of GS, PD and PT on morphine analgesia were described.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.109-113
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• 1993

The effects of ginseng total saponins (GTS) on the action of U-50,488H, a $textsc{k}$-opioid receptor agonist, on the electrically induced twitch responses of mouse vats deferens were studied. U-50,488H ($10^9$~$10^{-5}$M) inhibited the twitch contractions in a dose-dependent manner, which were caused by adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) released from the stimulated sympathetic nerve, and this effect was antagonized by naloxone ($10^6$ M). GTS, which itself induced the inhibition of the twitch contractions, acted additively to U-50,488H, GTS and U-50,488H had no effect on the tension of the unstimulated organs. The contractions elicited by ATP were not affected by U-50,488H, but inhibited by GTS. These results suggest that U-50,488H suppressed the twitch contractions by the inhibition of neurotransmitter release from presynaptic nerve terminals via action on opioid receptor, but G75, by inhibiting the action of the neurotransmitter on the smooth muscle.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.103-109
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• 1997

The effects of ginseng total saponins (GTS) on hypoxic damage of primary cultures of astrocytes were studied. Hypoxia was created by placing cultures in an air tight chamber that was flushed with 95% $N_2/5%CO_2$ for 15 min before being sealed. Cultures showed evidence of significant cell injury after 24 h of hypoxia (increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content in the culture medium, cell swelling and decreased glutamate uptake and protein content). Addition of GTS (0.1, 0.3 mg/ml) to the cultures during the exposure to hypoxic conditions produced dose-dependent inhibition of the LDH efflux. GTS (0.1, 0.3 mg/ml) also produced significant inhibition of the increased cell volume of astrocytes measured by $[^3H]$ O-methyl-D-glucose uptake under the hypoxic conditions. Decreased glutamate uptake and protein content was inhibited by GTS. These data suggest that GTS prevents astrocytic cell injury induced by severe hypoxia in vitro.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.74-81
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• 2001

The effect of Korean Ginseng saponins (total saponin, PD saponin and PT saponin) on the serotonin type 3 receptor, which is known to be involved in nausea and vomiting following anticancer chemotherapy or the general anesthesia, was investigated. after in vitro transcribed recombinant serotonin type 3 receptor in the Xenopus laevis oocyte, classic two electrodes voltage clamp technique was used. All of ginseng saponins inhibited the response of the agonist, serotonin, on the serotonin type 3 receptor in a dose-dependent manner. PT saponin showed to have the inhibitory effect more than 2 times as potent as PD saponin. Total saponin shifted the serotonin dose response plot to the right (EC$\_$50/, 0.70$\pm$0.17 $\mu$M into 3.57$\pm$1.42 $\mu$M, and Hill coefficient, 2.14$\pm$0.60 into 1.52$\pm$1.00). Ginseng saponin did not change the reversal potential (∼0 mV) of serotonin type 3 receptor. These results suggest that Korean ginseng saponin may have the inhibitory effect on serotonin type 3 receptor.