• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1984.09a
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• pp.83-88
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• 1984

It is now well established that the rodenticide Vacor (N-3-pyridyl-mehtyl-N'-p-nitropheny-lurea) causes a hyperglycemia in human and rats. It is also reported that there are some components (DPG-3) in ginseng radix which cause hypoglycemic effect on alloxan diabetic mice. In the present study, attempts were made to demonstrate in Vacor-poisoned rats the hypo-glycemic activity of red ginseng component(RGC), which was extracted by Kimura's DPG-3 extraction procedure and found to be effective for lowering a hyperglycemia in alloxan-diabetic rats. Vacor in a dose of $LD_{50}$ (10mg/kg) produced a glucose intolerance with a paradoxical moderate increase in blood immunoreactive insulin and derangement in glucose metabolism of epididymal adipocytes in rats. Although RGC (20mg/kg, i.p.) did not exert any significant influence on a hyperglycemia induced by large lethal doses (25mg/kg) of Vacor ingestion, it improved the LDso Vacor-induced glucose intolerance and caused a further increase in blood insulin levels in Vacor-poisoned rats. The administration of RGC (20mg/kg, i.p.) normalized Vacor-induced depression of glucose metabolism and lipogenesis in the epididymal adipocytes with an improvement of reduced responses to insulin of adipocytes from Vacor-poisoned rats. These results suggest that some red ginsneng components contained in RGC fraction normalize the depressed peripheral glucose unitlization and insulin response and eventually lead to an improvement of abnormal glucose tolerance developed in rats poisoned with small doses of Vacor.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.104-110
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• 2009

It is well known that the saponin of Korean red ginseng (KRG) has an anti-oxidant effect and could suppress the accumulation of lipid peroxidation. The aim of the present study was to observe the inhibitory effect of KRG on mice with noise-induced hearing loss, and to determine its optimal dose. BALB/c mice with a normal hearing level and normal Preyer's reflexes were used in the study. The mice in the permanent-threshold-shift (PTS) group were exposed to noise (120-dB SPL, white noise band) in a noise booth for 3 h a day, for three consecutive days. The mice in the experimental group were given heat-processed red-ginseng extract (50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 200 mg/kg), and those in the control group were given normal saline alone during their noise exposure. The mice in the temporary-threshold-shift (TTS) group were exposed to noise (120 dBSPL, white noise band) in a noise booth for 3 h. The mice in the experimental group were given heat-processed red-ginseng extract (50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 200 mg/kg), and those in the control group were given normal saline alone before their noise exposure. The hearing levels of the mice were measured through auditory brainstem response (ABR) immediately and I, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after their noise exposure. Cochleae were removed from the mice 14 days after their noise exposure. lmmunochemical and immunofluorescent staining were performed to observe the expression of 8-oxoG in cochlea. In the PTS group, the hearing function of the mice in all the groups was not recovered after their noise exposure. In the TTS group, however, the hearing function of the mice in all the groups was recovered within 14 days. Reduced hearing impairment and early recovery were observed in the mice that were given 200 mg/kg KRG, and early recovery was observed in the mice that were given 100 mg/kg KRG The immunopositive staining of 8-oxoG was detected in the stria vascularis in the control group but was diminished in the mice that were given 200 mg/kg KRG The ingestion of more than 100 mg/kg KRG demonstrated a protection and recovery effect on the noiseinduced-TTS group. Since KRG has been reported to be a safe compound even up to hundreds of mg/kg, a higher concentration of it may effectively protect and recover TTS.